Wire harness module

Abstract

The objective is to provide a wire harness module that allows for the proper routing of wiring materials into resin-based vehicle reinforcements. [Solution] The wire harness module 1A comprises a wiring harness W and a resin vehicle reinforcement 10A formed in an elongated shape along the vehicle width direction Y, which is the extending direction, and fixed to the inner panel IP which is the body of the vehicle V. The vehicle reinforcement 10A is integrally formed and includes an electrical component housing section 20A that fixes and houses the electrical components 30A provided on the wiring harness W.

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 wire harness module having a reinforcement structure divided into an upper reinforcement and a lower reinforcement, and using the longitudinal direction inside the reinforcement as a wiring path.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, such a wire harness module may use, for example, a resin vehicle reinforcement as a reinforcement, and there is room for further improvement in the configuration of wiring a wiring material to such a resin vehicle reinforcement.

[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 properly wiring a wiring material to a resin vehicle reinforcement.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the wire harness module of the present invention includes a wiring material and a resin vehicle reinforcement formed in a long shape along an extending direction and fixed to a vehicle body, and the vehicle reinforcement includes an electrical component housing portion that fixes and houses an electrical component provided on the wiring material and is integrally formed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The wire harness module according to the present invention has the effect of allowing the wiring material to be properly routed into a resin-made vehicle reinforcement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the wire harness module according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to Embodiment 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the wire harness module according to Embodiment 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, some of the components in the following embodiments may be easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] The wire harness module 1A of this embodiment, shown in Figure 1, includes a conductive wiring material W, a vehicle reinforcement 10A, and an electrical component housing section 20A. The wire harness module 1A is applied to a vehicle V such as an automobile and is used to connect various devices mounted on the vehicle V for power supply and signal communication. The wire harness module 1A may also be composed of various other components such as grommets, electrical connection boxes, and fasteners.

[0011] The wiring material W is composed of, for example, a bundle of multiple electric wires. Each 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 W may also include communication cables such as shielded electric wires and optical communication cables.

[0012] The vehicle reinforcement 10A is made of resin. The vehicle reinforcement 10A can be manufactured, for example, by a resin injection molding machine. The vehicle reinforcement 10A is fixed to the body of the vehicle V. In this embodiment, the vehicle reinforcement 10A can be, for example, an instrument panel reinforcement positioned on the back side of the instrument panel (not shown) of the vehicle V.

[0013] In the following explanation, the vehicle longitudinal direction X typically refers to the overall length direction of the vehicle V, corresponding to the longitudinal direction. The vehicle width direction Y typically refers to the overall width direction of the vehicle V, corresponding to the left-right direction. The vehicle height direction Z typically refers to the vehicle height direction of the vehicle V. In addition, in the vehicle longitudinal direction X, the side on which the vehicle V moves forward may be called the front, and the side on which the vehicle V moves backward may be called the rear. In the vehicle width direction Y, the left side facing forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction X may be called the left, and the right side may be called the right. In the vehicle height direction Z, the upper side in the vertical direction may be called the top, and the opposite side may be called the bottom. The vehicle longitudinal direction X, the vehicle width direction Y, and the vehicle height direction Z intersect each other orthogonally.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle reinforcement 10A is formed in an elongated shape along the vehicle width direction Y. That is, the vehicle width direction Y is also the direction in which the vehicle reinforcement 10A extends. The vehicle reinforcement 10A has a reinforcement body 13A and a protruding portion 14A. The reinforcement body 13A extends in the vehicle width direction Y and is fixed to the body (inner panel IP) of the vehicle V at its end 11. Multiple electrical component housing portions 20A for fixing and housing electrical components 30A are provided on the upper surface of the reinforcement body 13A (the upper surface in the vehicle height direction Z).

[0015] The protruding portion 14A of the vehicle reinforcement 10A is formed in a columnar shape, projecting from near the left and right ends 11 of the reinforcement body 13A to the other side in the vehicle height direction Z. The protruding portion 14A is provided with a plurality of electrical component housing sections 20A for fixing and housing electrical components 30A. The vehicle reinforcement 10A is integrally formed including the plurality of electrical component housing sections 20A, the reinforcement body 13A, and the two protruding portions 14A. The electrical component housing sections 20A provided on the reinforcement body 13A and the protruding portion 14A, and the electrical components 30A housed therein will be described later.

[0016] The vehicle reinforcement 10A has a cable routing path 12A through which the cable material W is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. In this embodiment, although not shown, the cable routing path 12A is provided in the cylindrical internal space of the vehicle reinforcement 10A (reinforcement body 13A and protruding portion 14A), which is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0017] The wiring harness W is composed of a trunk line portion W1 and a plurality of branch line portions W2 branching from the trunk line portion W1. The trunk line portion W1 is formed by bundling a plurality of electric wires constituting, for example, a power line for power supply, a communication line for signal communication, an earth line for grounding, and the like. Further, an electrical component 30A is provided at the terminal of the wiring harness W. Specifically, the electrical component 30A is a connector 31 that electrically connects the wiring harness W (branch line portion W2) and the connection target. For example, the electrical component 30A can be a male connector. In this case, the connection target can be a female connector provided on an electric wire or the like extending from a device such as a meter or a navigation system. Then, the female connector is fitted with the male connector as the electrical component 30A. By fitting the male connector as the electrical component 30A and the female connector, the wiring harness W provided on the vehicle reinforcement 10A can be electrically connected to the connection target (the female connector, the electric wire or the like connected to the female connector, and the device).

[0018] Here, three electrical component housing portions 20A are provided on each of the two protruding portions 14A. Further, three electrical component housing portions 20A are provided on the upper surface on the left side and the upper surface on the right side of the reinforcement body 13A, respectively. Each electrical component housing portion 20A is formed in a substantially concave shape with an opening provided toward the outside in the present embodiment. The electrical component 30A is housed and fixed in the electrical component housing portion 20A so that the fitting opening for fitting with the mating connector of the connection target is exposed to the outside.

[0019] For example, a guide rail (not shown) is provided in the electrical component housing portion 20A along the insertion direction of the electrical component 30A. On the other hand, a guided portion (not shown) guided by the guide rail is provided on the housing (not shown) of the connector 31 which is the electrical component 30A. Therefore, the electrical component 30A can be housed in the electrical component housing portion 20A with the guided portion along the guide rail. Further, a locking portion (not shown) is provided in the electrical component housing portion 20A, and a locked portion (not shown) that locks with the locking portion is provided on the electrical component 30A. The locking structure including the locking portion and the locked portion restricts the movement of the electrical component 30A with respect to the electrical component housing portion 20A. Thus, the electrical component 30A will not easily fall off even when the wire harness module 1A is subjected to vibrations or the like. Also, the locking structure can make the electrical component 30A detachable from the electrical component housing portion 20A.

[0020] Before assembling the wire harness module 1A to the vehicle V, the wiring material W can be wired to the wire harness module 1A. At this time, the connector 31 which is the electrical component 30A can be easily assembled to the electrical component housing portion 20A. Thus, in the wire harness module 1A, the number of wiring materials W provided so as to hang down from the vehicle reinforcement 10A can be reduced, making it easier to perform operations such as assembling the wire harness module 1A.

[0021] [Embodiment 2] Next, Embodiment 2 will be described based on FIG. 2. The wire harness module 1B according to this embodiment has a wiring material W and a resin vehicle reinforcement 10B, similar to the wire harness module 1A of Embodiment 1. Although not shown, the vehicle reinforcement 10B is fixed to the body (inner panel IP) of the vehicle V, similar to the vehicle reinforcement 10A of Embodiment 1. The vehicle reinforcement 10B integrally includes an electrical component housing portion 20B that fixes and houses the electrical component 30B.

[0022] The vehicle reinforcement 10B is formed in a roughly rectangular prism shape. A concave electrical component housing section 20B is provided on the rear surface of the vehicle reinforcement 10B in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. On the other hand, the wiring harness W is not provided on the vehicle reinforcement 10B, but extends from equipment or other wire harnesses provided on the vehicle V. The electrical component 30B is provided on this wiring harness W. The electrical component 30B is provided at the ends of the two wiring harnesses W. In this embodiment, the electrical component 30B is a joint connector 32 that electrically connects the wiring harnesses W. The electrical component housing section 20B and the electrical component 30B can be provided with a locking structure that restricts the movement of the electrical component 30B relative to the electrical component housing section 20B. The electrical component housing section 20B may be formed as a bottomed concave shape or as a through-hole shape.

[0023] The wire harness module 1B can have, for example, a wiring route 12B extending in the vehicle width direction Y inside the vehicle reinforcement 10B. The wiring route 12B may be provided inside a cylindrical shape formed along the vehicle width direction Y of the vehicle reinforcement 10B, or it may be formed in a groove shape along the vehicle width direction Y. The wiring route 12B can be provided with a wiring material Wt different from the wiring material W. In this embodiment, the electrical components 30B housed in the electrical component housing section 20B are made of a different wiring material W than the wiring material Wt routed in the vehicle reinforcement 10B, but the electrical components 30B may be provided on, for example, a branch portion of the wiring material Wt and housed in the electrical component housing section 20B.

[0024] [Embodiment 3] Next, Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The wire harness module 1C according to this embodiment has a wiring material W and a resin vehicle reinforcement 10C, similar to the wire harness module 1A of Embodiment 1. Although not shown, the vehicle reinforcement 10C is fixed to the body (inner panel IP) of the vehicle V, similar to the vehicle reinforcement 10A of Embodiment 1. The vehicle reinforcement 10C is integrally formed and includes an electrical component housing section 20C for fixing and housing electrical components 30C.

[0025] The vehicle reinforcement 10C is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and extends in the vehicle width direction Y. More specifically, in a cross-section viewed from the vehicle width direction Y, the vehicle reinforcement 10C has a semicircular portion 10C1 formed in a substantially semicircular shape on the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction X, a plate-shaped portion 10C2 provided on the rear side with its plate surface facing the vehicle longitudinal direction X, and two substantially plate-shaped connecting portions 10C3 with their plate surfaces facing the vehicle height direction Z, extending from the upper and lower sides of the plate portion 10C2 in the vehicle height direction Z to the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction X, and connecting to the two rear ends of the semicircular portion 10C1, respectively.

[0026] The vehicle reinforcement 10C has a roughly cylindrical interior, inside which a cable routing path 12C is provided through which the main line section W1 of the cable routing material W is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. Here, the cable routing material W has a main line section W1 and branch line sections W2 that branch off from the main line section W1. Electrical components 30C are provided in the branch line section W2.

[0027] In this embodiment, the electrical component 30C is a connector 33. The connector 33 is, for example, a male connector. On the other hand, the rear plate portion 10C2 of the vehicle reinforcement 10C is provided with an electrical component housing portion 20C. The electrical component 30C is fixedly housed in the electrical component housing portion 20C. The electrical component housing portion 20C can be, for example, a through hole in the plate portion 10C2 that communicates with the inside of the vehicle reinforcement 10C. The connector 33, which is the electrical component 30C, is fixedly housed by fitting it into the through hole. In this embodiment, an electrical component 30C is housed in each of the two electrical component housing portions 20C.

[0028] The connector 33 electrically connects the wiring material W and the connection target 40. The connection target 40 includes the mating connector 41 of the connector 33 and the wiring material Ws that connect to the mating connector 41. In this embodiment, two connection targets 40 are provided, corresponding to two electrical components 30C. For example, the electrical component 30C (connector 33) is a male connector, and the mating connector 41 is a female connector. The electrical component 30C (connector 33) is fixed and housed in the electrical component housing 20C such that the mating portion 331 with the mating connector 41 is exposed to the outside.

[0029] [Embodiment 4] Next, Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The wire harness module 1D according to this embodiment has a wiring material W and a resin vehicle reinforcement 10D, similar to the wire harness module 1A of Embodiment 1. Although not shown, the vehicle reinforcement 10D is fixed to the body (inner panel IP) of the vehicle V, similar to the vehicle reinforcement 10A of Embodiment 1. The vehicle reinforcement 10D is integrally formed and includes an electrical component housing section 20D for fixing and housing electrical components 30D.

[0030] The vehicle reinforcement 10D has a reinforcement body 13D and a projection 14D that protrudes from the reinforcement body 13D and is provided with an electrical component housing 20D. The reinforcement body 13D of the vehicle reinforcement 10D in this embodiment is formed in a substantially rectangular prism shape that is long in the vehicle width direction Y and is formed in a substantially convex curve towards the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. A cable routing path 12D is provided on the upper surface of the reinforcement body 13D of the vehicle reinforcement 10D. The main line section W1 of the cable routing material W is routed along the vehicle width direction Y in the cable routing path 12D.

[0031] The cable guide W has a main line section W1 and multiple branch lines W2 that branch off from the main line section W1. In this embodiment, three branch lines W2 are provided. The main line section W1 is wound and fixed together with the reinforcement body 13D by a fixing member 50. The fixing member 50 can be, for example, a cable tie or a tape member.

[0032] An electrical component 30D is provided at the end of each branch line W2. In this embodiment, the electrical component 30D is an electrical junction box 34 in which electronic components are housed within a housing 34a. The electrical junction box 34 may also be called a junction box, relay box, fuse box, etc. The housing 34a of the electrical junction box 34 is formed in a roughly box shape and is typically made of a resin material which is an insulating material. The electrical junction box 34 may also be a circuit board, an electronic control unit called an ECU, a gateway that performs protocol conversion processing, a power box, etc.

[0033] The protruding portion 14D is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape and protrudes from the reinforcement body 13D to the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. The protruding portion 14D is provided with a substantially elongated rectangular concave electrical component housing portion 20D that is long in the vehicle height direction Z. The electrical component housing portion 20D opens to the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. In this embodiment, three electrical component housing portions 20D are provided. An electrical connection box 34, which is an electrical component 30D, is fixedly housed in each electrical component housing portion 20D. The electrical component housing portion 20D and the electrical component 30D can each be provided with a locking structure that locks with each other to restrict the movement of the electrical component 30D relative to the electrical component housing portion 20D.

[0034] [Embodiment 5] Next, Embodiment 5 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The wire harness module 1E according to this embodiment has a wiring material W and a resin vehicle reinforcement 10E, similar to the wire harness module 1A of Embodiment 1. Although not shown, the vehicle reinforcement 10E is fixed to the body (inner panel IP) of the vehicle V, similar to the vehicle reinforcement 10A of Embodiment 1. The vehicle reinforcement 10E is integrally formed and includes an electrical component housing section 20E for fixing and housing electrical components 30E.

[0035] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the vehicle reinforcement 10E has a plate portion 10E1 that is long in the vehicle width direction Y, and two side plates 10E2 that are long in the vehicle width direction Y, and is formed to extend in the vehicle width direction Y. The plate portion 10E1 is provided with its plate surface facing the vehicle longitudinal direction X (first width direction). The side plates 10E2 are provided extending toward the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction X from both ends of the plate portion 10E1 in the vehicle height direction Z (second width direction). The vehicle reinforcement 10E has a cable routing path 12E inside a recessed groove formed by the plate portion 10E1 and the two side plates 10E2. The vehicle reinforcement 10E has the cable routing path 12E open at both ends in the vehicle width direction Y. The plate portion 10E1 is provided with an electrical component housing portion 20E for fixing and housing electrical components 30E. In this embodiment, the electrical component housing section 20E is a roughly rectangular through-hole that penetrates both the inside and outside of the plate section 10E1 (cable routing section 12E), as shown in Figure 6.

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, the cable routing member W has a main line section W1 and branch line sections W2 that branch off from the main line section W1. The main line section W1 is routed along the vehicle width direction Y in the cable routing path 12E. A connector 35, which is an electrical component 30E, is provided at the end of the branch line section W2. A connector lock 35a is provided on the outer circumference of the connector 35. In this embodiment, the connector lock 35a is provided on the upper surface of the connector 35 in the vehicle height direction Z and is formed as a projection having an inclined surface 35a1. The inclined surface 35a1 is formed to slope upward from the rear to the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction X.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the connector 35 electrically connects the branch wire portion W2 (wiring material W) to the connection target 40E. The connection target 40E includes the mating connector 41E in the connector 35 and the wiring material Ws that connect to the mating connector 41E. The electrical component 30E (connector 35) is, for example, a male connector, and the mating connector 41E is a female connector. The electrical component 30E (connector 35) is fixed and housed in the electrical component housing portion 20E such that the mating portion 351 with the mating connector 41E is exposed to the outside of the plate portion 10E1 of the vehicle reinforcement 10E.

[0038] The connector 35 can be fixed to the electrical component housing 20E by, for example, inserting it into the through-hole of the electrical component housing 20E from the cable routing 12E side. In this case, the inclined surface 35a1 of the connector lock 35a slides against the edge (edge ​​of the through-hole) of the electrical component housing 20E on the cable routing 12E side. When the connector 35 is pushed into the electrical component housing 20E, the connector lock 35a is elastically compressed due to the tapered effect of the inclined surface 35a1. When the connector lock 35a exits the through-hole of the electrical component housing 20E, the elastically compressed connector lock 35a is released and locks onto the outer edge of the electrical component housing 20E. The locking of the connector lock 35a fixes and houses the connector 35 in the electrical component housing 20E.

[0039] [Embodiment 6] Next, Embodiment 6 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The wire harness module 1F according to this embodiment has a wiring material W and a resin vehicle reinforcement 10F, similar to the wire harness module 1A of Embodiment 1. Although not shown, the vehicle reinforcement 10F is fixed to the body (inner panel IP) of the vehicle V, similar to the vehicle reinforcement 10A of Embodiment 1. The vehicle reinforcement 10F is integrally formed and includes an electrical component housing section 20F that fixes and houses the electrical components 30F.

[0040] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the vehicle reinforcement 10F is formed in an elongated shape along the vehicle width direction Y. The vehicle reinforcement 10F is formed by dividing it in the vehicle height direction Z. Of the divided vehicle reinforcement 10F, the upper part in the vehicle height direction Z is designated as the first reinforcement 10Fa, and the lower part is designated as the second reinforcement 10Fb. The vehicle reinforcement 10F is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by combining the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb. In this embodiment, the vehicle reinforcement 10F is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape.

[0041] The first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb are each provided with a substantially plate-shaped plate portion 10F1 that is long in the vehicle width direction Y, and two substantially plate-shaped side plates 10F2 that are long in the vehicle width direction Y. The plate portion 10F1 is formed in a plate shape with its surface facing the vehicle height direction Z. The side plates 10F2 are formed in a plate shape with their surface facing the vehicle longitudinal direction X, and extend along the vehicle height direction Z from both ends of the plate portion 10F1 in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. The side plates 10F2 of the first reinforcement 10Fa extend toward the second reinforcement 10Fb. The side plates 10F2 of the second reinforcement 10Fb extend toward the first reinforcement 10Fa.

[0042] As shown in Figure 8, the plate portion 10F1 and the two side plates 10F2 form a groove portion 12F1 extending in the vehicle width direction Y. The first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb are joined together so that their ends in the vehicle height direction Z on each side plate 10F2 abut each other. When the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb are joined together, each groove portion 12F1 is joined together to form a cable routing path 12F. Here, the cable routing material W has a main line portion W1 and branch line portions W2 that branch off from the main line portion W1. The substantially cylindrical interior of the vehicle reinforcement 10F is the cable routing path 12F through which the cable routing material W (main line portion W1) is routed.

[0043] As shown in Figure 8, a notched opening 10F31 is formed in the rear side plate 10F2 of the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. The opening 10F31 is formed near both ends of the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb in the vehicle width direction Y. As shown in Figure 7, when the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb are combined, the opening 10F31 is also combined to form an insertion hole 10F3. For example, a branch line W2 branching from the main line W1 of the cable material W can be inserted through the insertion hole 10F3. The branch line W2 can be routed inside and outside the cable path 12F via the insertion hole 10F3.

[0044] A notched opening 20F1 is formed in the rear side plate 10F2 of the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. The opening 20F1 is formed approximately in the center of the vehicle width direction Y in the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb. When the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb are combined, the opening 20F1 is also combined to form an electrical component housing section 20F. Therefore, the electrical component housing section 20F is formed as a roughly rectangular through-hole.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8, a connector 36, which is an electrical component 30F, is provided at the end of the branch wire W2. As shown in Figure 7, the connector 36 electrically connects the branch wire W2 (wiring material W) to the connection target 40F. The connection target 40F includes a mating connector 41F in the connector 36 and wiring materials Ws that connect to the mating connector 41F. The electrical component 30F (connector 36) is, for example, a male connector, and the mating connector 41F is a female connector. The electrical component 30F (connector 36) is fixed and housed in the electrical component housing section 20F such that the mating portion 361 with the mating connector 41F is exposed to the outside of the vehicle reinforcement 10F. The electrical component housing section 20F can house the electrical component 30F (connector 36) by, for example, sandwiching and fixing it with each opening 20F1.

[0046] As shown in Figure 7, a locking mechanism 10Fc is provided on the outer surface of the vehicle reinforcement 10F in the vehicle longitudinal direction X, which fixes the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb together. A total of four locking mechanisms 10Fc can be provided on the front and rear outer surfaces of the vehicle reinforcement 10F, two on each side, spaced at predetermined intervals along the vehicle width direction Y. Note that the locking mechanism 10Fc on the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction X is not shown.

[0047] As shown in Figure 8, the locking mechanism 10Fc has a one-sided locking portion 10Fc1 provided on the first reinforcement 10Fa, and a other-sided locking portion 10Fc2 provided on the second reinforcement 10Fb that locks with the one-sided locking portion 10Fc1. The one-sided locking portion 10Fc1 has an elastically supported projection. The other-sided locking portion 10Fc2 is formed as a convex ridge protruding from the outer surface of the second reinforcement 10Fb. The locking mechanism 10Fc is locked when the projection of the one-sided locking portion 10Fc1 overcomes and engages with the other-sided locking portion 10Fc2. In this way, the vehicle reinforcement 10F is formed by fixing the combined first reinforcement 10Fa and second reinforcement 10Fb to each other.

[0048] The wire harness modules 1A to 1F described above comprise a wiring material W and resin vehicle reinforcements 10A to 10F formed in an elongated shape along the vehicle width direction Y, which is the extending direction, and fixed to the inner panel IP which is the body of the vehicle V. The vehicle reinforcements 10A to 10F are integrally formed and include electrical component housing sections 20A to 20F that fix and house the electrical components 30A to 30F provided on the wiring material W.

[0049] As a result, for wire harness modules 1A to 1F, which include a wiring material W on which electrical components 30A to 30F are provided, the need to separately prepare fixing materials such as connector holders, cable ties, or tape materials to fix the electrical components 30A to 30F is reduced, thereby reducing the number of parts and achieving a lighter wire harness. In the wiring material W that is routed along the extending direction of the vehicle reinforcement 10A to 10F, the electrical components 30A to 30F of the wiring material W are fixed and housed in the electrical component housing sections 20A to 20F. In the case of a different wiring material W than the wiring material routed along the extending direction of the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D, the electrical components 30A, 30B, and 30D are fixedly housed in the electrical component housing sections 20A, 20B, and 20D, allowing the wiring material W to be routed to the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D via the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D, for example, in a wire-to-wire configuration. In this way, the wiring material W can be properly routed to the resin vehicle reinforcements 10A to 10F.

[0050] Furthermore, the vehicle reinforcements 10A and 10D each have a reinforcement body 13A and 13D fixed to the inner panel IP, which is the body of the vehicle V, and protruding portions 14A and 14D that protrude from the reinforcement body 13A and 13D and are provided with electrical component housings 20A and 20D. This allows multiple electrical components 30A and 30D to be arranged together in the protruding portions 14A and 14D, thereby improving the workability of the wiring work for the wiring material W.

[0051] Furthermore, the electrical component 30A is a connector 31 provided on the cable routing material W, which electrically connects the cable routing material W to the object to be connected. This allows the connector 31 to be fixed and housed in the electrical component housing section 20A of the protruding portion 14A, which is easy to find during cable routing work, thereby improving the workability of cable routing.

[0052] Furthermore, the electrical component 30D is an electrical junction box 34 provided on the wiring material W, with electronic components housed within the housing 34a. This allows the electrical junction box 34, which is larger than a connector, to be fixed and housed in the electrical component housing section 20D of the protruding portion 14D, which is integrated with the reinforcement body 13D of the vehicle reinforcement 10D.

[0053] Furthermore, the electrical component 30B is a joint connector 32 provided on the cable guide W, which electrically connects the cable guides W together. This allows the joint connector 32 that connects the cable guides W together to also be fixedly housed in the electrical component housing section 20B of the vehicle reinforcement 10B.

[0054] Furthermore, the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D have cable routing paths 12A, 12B, and 12D along the vehicle width direction Y, through which the cable routing material W is routed. This allows the electrical components 30A, 30B, and 30D of the cable routing material W provided in the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D to be fixedly housed in the electrical component housing sections 20A, 20B, and 20D.

[0055] Furthermore, the vehicle reinforcement 10C is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a cable routing path 12C is provided inside the cylindrical shape through which the cable routing material W is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. The electrical component 30C is a connector 33 that electrically connects the cable routing material W and the connection target 40. The electrical component housing section 20C houses the connector 33 in a fixed manner so that the mating portion 331 with the mating connector 41 of the connector 33 provided on the branch line W2 that branches off from the cable routing material W routed in the cable routing path 12C is exposed to the outside. This makes it easy to find and mate the connector 33 to connect to the mating connector 41, thereby improving the workability of cable routing.

[0056] Furthermore, the vehicle reinforcement 10E is provided with a plate portion 10E1 that extends in the vehicle width direction Y and has its plate surface facing the vehicle longitudinal direction X, which is a first width direction intersecting the vehicle width direction Y, and a cable routing path 12E is provided inside a recessed groove formed by two side plates 10E2 that extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction X from both sides of the plate portion 10E1 in the vehicle height direction Z, which is a second width direction, in which the cable routing material W is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. The electrical component 30E is a connector 35 that electrically connects the cable routing material W and the connection target 40E, and the electrical component housing section 20E is provided in the plate portion 10E1 and houses the connector 35 in such a way that the mating portion 351 with the mating connector 41E of the connector 35 provided in the branch wire portion W2 that branches off from the cable routing material W routed in the cable routing path 12E is exposed to the outside. As a result, the connector 35 can be directly attached to the vehicle reinforcement 10E, making it easier to mate it with the mating connector 41 of the connection target 40E, and thus improving the efficiency of cable routing.

[0057] Furthermore, the electrical component housing section 20E includes a through-hole that penetrates the inside and outside of the plate section 10E1, and the connector 35 is fixed to this through-hole. As a result, the connector 35 can be assembled to the vehicle reinforcement 10E with a simple operation of fitting it into the electrical component housing section 20E, which is the through-hole. Thus, the workability of cable routing can be further improved.

[0058] Furthermore, the vehicle reinforcement 10F is formed in a cylindrical shape by combining a first reinforcement 10Fa and a second reinforcement 10Fb, which are formed by dividing the vehicle in the vehicle height direction Z, which is a direction intersecting the vehicle width direction Y. A cable routing path 12F is provided inside the cylindrical shape through which the cable material W is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. The electrical component 30F is a connector 36 that electrically connects the cable material W and the connection target 40F. The electrical component housing section 20F is formed by notched openings 20F1 provided in the first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb, respectively. The connector 36 is housed by sandwiching and fixing it between the openings 20F1 such that the mating portion 361 with the mating connector 41F of the connector 36 provided in the branch line W2 branching off from the cable material W routed in the cable routing path 12F is exposed to the outside. As a result, the connector 36 is directly attached to the vehicle reinforcement 10F, making it easier to mate it with the mating connector 41 of the connection target 40F, thereby improving the efficiency of cable routing. Furthermore, since the connector 36 is held in place and fixed by the opening 20F1, it can be assembled to the vehicle reinforcement 10F simply by combining the divided first reinforcement 10Fa and the second reinforcement 10Fb.

[0059] Furthermore, the wire harness module according to the embodiments of the present invention described above is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0060] In the above description, the vehicle reinforcements 10A to 10F are described as instrument panel reinforcements, but they may be other reinforcements fixed to the body of the vehicle V. Also, the housing of electrical components 30A to 30F in the electrical component housings 20A to 20F may be detachable. Furthermore, although the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D are provided with cable routing lines 12A, 12B, and 12D, these cable routing lines 12A, 12B, and 12D are not required. In other words, the electrical component housings 20A, 20B, and 20D may house electrical components 30A, 30B, and 30D of cable routing material W other than that routed to the vehicle reinforcements 10A, 10B, and 10D. Furthermore, it is possible to provide multiple electrical component housing sections 20A to 20F, which may contain a mixture of electrical components 30A to 30F of the wiring material W in the wiring routes 12A to 12F and electrical components 30A to 30F of wiring material W other than those routed in the vehicle reinforcement 10A to 10F. This allows the wiring material W to be routed appropriately according to its shape. In addition, although the electrical components 30A to 30F are provided at the ends of the wiring material W, they may also be provided in the middle of the wiring material W.

[0061] The wire harness module according to this embodiment may be constructed by appropriately combining the components of the embodiments and modified examples described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 1A~1F: Wire harness module 10A~10F: Vehicle reinforcement 10Fa: First Reinforcement 10Fb: Second Reinforcement 12A~12F: Cabling path 13A, 13D: Reinforce main unit 14A, 14D:Protrusion 20A~20F: Electrical component housing 30A~30F: Electrical components 20F1: Opening 31, 33, 35, 36: Connectors 32: Joint Connector 34: Electrical junction box 34a: Enclosure 40, 40E, 40F: Connection target 41, 41E, 41F: Mating connector 331, 351, 361: Fitting part V: Vehicle W: Routing material W1: Main line section W2: Branch line part X: Vehicle longitudinal direction (extension direction) Y: Vehicle width direction Z: Vehicle height direction

Claims

1. Cable rigging materials, A resin vehicle reinforcement formed in an elongated shape along the direction of extension and fixed to the vehicle body, Equipped with, The vehicle reinforcement includes an electrical component housing section that securely houses and accommodates electrical components provided in the cable guide, and is formed integrally with the vehicle reinforcement. Wire harness module.

2. The vehicle reinforcement comprises a reinforcement body fixed to the body of the vehicle, and a projection formed protruding from the reinforcement body and provided with the electrical component housing. The wire harness module according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned electrical component is a connector provided on the cable routing material and electrically connecting the cable routing material to the object to be connected. The wire harness module according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned electrical component is an electrical connection box provided on the cable routing material, in which electronic components are housed within the enclosure. The wire harness module according to claim 2.

5. The aforementioned electrical component is a joint connector provided on the cable material and electrically connecting the cable materials together. The wire harness module according to claim 1.

6. The vehicle reinforcement has a routing path along which the routing material is routed. A wire harness module according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The vehicle reinforcement is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a cable routing path is provided inside the cylindrical shape through which the cable material is routed along the extending direction. The aforementioned electrical component is a connector that electrically connects the cable material and the object to be connected, The electrical component housing section houses the connector in such a way that the mating portion with the mating connector of the connector provided on the branch line portion branching off from the wiring material routed in the wiring path is exposed to the outside. The wire harness module according to claim 1.

8. The vehicle reinforcement is provided with a cable routing path formed by a plate portion extending in the extending direction and having its plate surface facing a first width direction intersecting the extending direction, and two side plates extending in the first width direction from both sides of the plate portion in a second width direction intersecting the first width direction, within which the cable routing material is routed along the extending direction. The aforementioned electrical component is a connector that electrically connects the cable material and the object to be connected, The electrical component housing section is provided on the plate portion and houses the connector in such a way that the mating portion with the mating connector is exposed to the outside of the connector provided on the branch wire portion that branches off from the wiring material laid in the wiring path. The wire harness module according to claim 1.

9. The electrical component housing section includes through holes that penetrate the inside and outside of the plate section. The connector is fixed to the through hole. The wire harness module according to claim 8.

10. The vehicle reinforcement is formed in a cylindrical shape by combining a first reinforcement and a second reinforcement, which are formed by dividing them in a direction intersecting the extending direction, and a cable routing path is provided inside the cylindrical shape through which the cable routing material is routed along the extending direction. The aforementioned electrical component is a connector that electrically connects the cable material and the object to be connected, The electrical component housing section is formed by notched openings provided in the first reinforcement and the second reinforcement, and houses the connectors by sandwiching them between the openings so that the mating portion of the connector provided in the branch wire section branching from the wiring material routed in the wiring path is exposed to the outside. The wire harness module according to claim 1.

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