Wire harness

Abstract

To provide a wire harness that minimizes the increase in size without increasing the number of parts. [Solution] The wire harness 1 comprises a harness body 10 having a connecting portion 11 that passes between the vehicle body and the sliding door through a harness routing path 610a inside an arm member 610B, and a harness holding structure 20 that holds the harness body. The arm member has a harness insertion opening 610b that extends between one end and the other, with an opening that is perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction and sliding direction, and into which the connecting portion can be inserted into the harness routing path. The harness holding structure has a harness holding portion 21 on the arm member that narrows the width of the harness insertion opening to less than the outer diameter of the connecting portion within a range that allows insertion of the connecting portion into the harness routing path, and locks the connecting portion of the harness routing path so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening. The connecting portion is formed by deforming a plurality of wires bundled in a cylindrical shape into an ellipse shape with a shorter diameter smaller than the width of the harness insertion opening.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as automobiles have been equipped with a power supply device for a sliding door that electrically connects a power source (secondary battery or the like) on the vehicle body side to a switch or electrical components on the sliding door side. In this power supply device for a sliding door, the wire harness is responsible for the electrical connection. This wire harness includes a harness body provided with a crossing portion that crosses between the vehicle body and the sliding door. In this wire harness, the crossing portion is routed along the arm of a link mechanism that also crosses between the vehicle body and the sliding door. This type of wire harness is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below. In the wire harness of this Patent Document 1, the crossing portion is routed along the outer wall surface of the arm in an exposed state. Therefore, in order to improve the appearance, this wire harness covers the crossing portion together with the arm with an interior member, but this causes the interior member to be enlarged in order to avoid the crossing portion. Such inconveniences can be solved, for example, by housing the crossing portion inside the arm as in the wire harness described in Patent Document 2 below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventional wire harnesses have an opening for the harness insertion facing upwards towards the vehicle in order to house the connecting section inside the arm. Therefore, this wire harness prevents the connecting section from coming out of the arm and also prevents foreign objects from entering through the harness insertion opening by covering the harness insertion opening with a cover member attached to the arm. In other words, this conventional wire harness prevents the drawbacks of restricting the size of the vehicle by adding a cover member.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness that can suppress an increase in size without increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a wire bundle formed by bundling multiple electric wires together, comprising a harness body for electrically connecting a first electrical connection target installed on the vehicle body and a second electrical connection target installed on the sliding door, and a harness holding structure for holding the harness body between the vehicle body and the sliding door, wherein the harness body has a connecting portion that passes between the vehicle body and the sliding door through a harness routing path inside the arm member of a link mechanism that moves the sliding door back and forth in the sliding direction relative to the vehicle body, and the arm member is in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction and the sliding direction The harness has an opening that extends between one end and the other, and the harness insertion opening is such that the connecting portion can be inserted into the harness routing path. The harness holding structure is characterized in that the width of the harness insertion opening is narrower than the outer diameter of the connecting portion within the range in which the connecting portion can be inserted into the harness routing path, and the arm member is provided with a harness holding portion that locks the connecting portion of the harness routing path so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening. The connecting portion is characterized in that it can deform a plurality of bundled cylindrical electric wires into an elliptical shape with a shorter diameter smaller than the width of the harness insertion opening.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention comprises a harness body for electrically connecting a first electrical connection target installed on the vehicle body and a second electrical connection target installed on the sliding door, and a harness holding structure for holding the harness body between the vehicle body and the sliding door, wherein the harness body has a connecting portion that is passed between the vehicle body and the sliding door through a harness routing path inside the arm member of a link mechanism that moves the sliding door back and forth in the sliding direction relative to the vehicle body, and the arm member has a harness insertion opening that extends from one end to the other, with an opening that is perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction and the sliding direction, and allows insertion of the connecting portion into the harness routing path, and the perpendicular The harness holding structure comprises a side wall positioned opposite the harness insertion opening with the harness routing path in between, an upper wall protruding from the upper edge of the side wall toward the harness insertion opening, and a lower wall protruding from the lower edge of the side wall toward the harness insertion opening. The harness holding structure is characterized in that the width of the harness insertion opening is wider than the outer diameter of the connecting portion, and the arm member is provided with a harness holding portion that locks the connecting portion of the harness routing path so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening, and the harness holding portion is formed as a wall portion that protrudes from the lower wall toward the upper wall between one end and the other end of the arm member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The wire harness according to the present invention houses the connecting portion within the harness routing path in the arm member, and the connecting portion can be secured to the harness routing path by the harness holding structure, thereby reducing the exposure of the connecting portion and improving its appearance. Furthermore, the wire harness according to the present invention has the harness insertion opening of the arm member oriented perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction and the sliding direction of the sliding door, thus preventing foreign objects from entering through the harness insertion opening. Moreover, since the wire harness according to the present invention houses the connecting portion within the harness routing path in the arm member, it is possible to reduce the size of the interior components and thus reduce the overall size of the harness. In this way, the wire harness according to the present invention can reduce the overall size of the harness without increasing the number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a plan view of the wire harness of the embodiment as seen from inside the vehicle. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the wire harness of the embodiment as seen from inside the vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the cable routing and harness holding structure of the crossover section in the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the insertion process of the connecting section. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the cable routing and harness retention structure of the crossover section in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] An embodiment of the wire harness according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, this embodiment does not limit the present invention.

[0011] [Embodiment] One embodiment of the wire harness according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0012] Reference numeral 1 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates the wire harness of this embodiment.

[0013] In vehicles such as automobiles, a vehicle body 510 equipped with a sliding door 520 is known (Figures 1 and 2). In this vehicle, a first electrical connection target (not shown) installed on the vehicle body 510 and a second electrical connection target (not shown) installed on the sliding door 520 are electrically connected by a wire harness 1.

[0014] The wire harness 1 includes a harness body 10 that electrically connects a first electrical connection target and a second electrical connection target (Figures 1 and 2). The harness body 10 has a connecting section 11 that is passed between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520 (Figures 1 and 2). Furthermore, the harness body 10 has a vehicle body side routing section that is routed to the vehicle body 510 at one end of the connecting section 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle body side end") and a door side routing section that is routed to the sliding door 520 at the other end of the connecting section 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "door side end") (not shown). In this harness body 10, the vehicle body side routing section is electrically connected to the first electrical connection target, and the door side routing section is electrically connected to the second electrical connection target.

[0015] For example, this vehicle is equipped with a power supply device for the sliding door that supplies power from a power source (such as a secondary battery) on the vehicle body 510 side, which is the first electrical connection target, to a second electrical connection target on the sliding door 520 side (not shown). The second electrical connection target is something installed on the sliding door 520, such as electrical components or switches. For example, the electrical components of the sliding door 520 refer to things like a drive unit for operating the power window or a speaker. Furthermore, the switches of the sliding door 520 refer to switches for operating the power window, switches for operating the power seat, etc. The wire harness 1 is installed on the vehicle as one of the components of this power supply device for the sliding door.

[0016] This vehicle is equipped with a link mechanism 600 that moves the sliding door 520 back and forth in the sliding direction relative to the vehicle body 510 (Figures 1 and 2). This link mechanism 600 is interposed between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520, and opens and closes the sliding door 520 between a fully closed position and a fully open position relative to the vehicle body 510. For example, in this vehicle, the sliding door 520 on the side of the vehicle is moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between a fully closed position and a fully open position.

[0017] The link mechanism 600 includes an arm member 610 that is passed between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520 (FIGS. 1 and 2). And the link mechanism 600 includes a first bearing 620 that rotatably supports one end of the arm member 610 on the vehicle body 510 side, and a second bearing 630 that rotatably supports the other end of the arm member 610 on the sliding door 520 side (FIGS. 1 and 2). In this link mechanism 600, the first bearing 620 is fixed to the vehicle body 510, and the second bearing 630 is fixed to the sliding door 520.

[0018] The first bearing 620 includes a rotation shaft 621 on the vehicle body 510 side whose axial direction is the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle body side rotation shaft"), and a first arm holding member 622 that is fixed to the vehicle body 510 and rotatably supports one end of the arm member 610 via the vehicle body side rotation shaft 621 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Further, the second bearing 630 includes a rotation shaft 631 on the sliding door 520 side whose axial direction is the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the "door side rotation shaft"), and a second arm holding member 632 that is fixed to the sliding door 520 and rotatably supports the other end of the arm member 610 via the door side rotation shaft 631 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0019] The arm member 610 is formed of, for example, a metal material.

[0020] The wire harness 1 may use this arm member 610 as a wiring path of the harness main body 10. That is, it may be constituted by the harness main body 10 or the like without including the arm member 610 as one of its constituent members. Further, the wire harness 1 may include the arm member 610 as one of its constituent members in the same manner as the harness main body 10 or the like. However, here, the arm member 610 in which an opening and an internal space are formed extending between one end and the other end is used as an object of use or a constituent member of the wire harness 1. The wire harness 1 exemplified here also includes such an arm member 610 as one of its constituent members, and can also be called a wire harness 1 with an arm member 610, a wire harness assembly, or a wire harness module.

[0021] Here, a plurality of link mechanisms 600 are provided between the exemplary vehicle body 510 and the slide door 520. The plurality of link mechanisms 600 are arranged at intervals in the vehicle up-and-down direction. Here, as the link mechanism 600, an upper link mechanism 600A on the upper side of the vehicle and a lower link mechanism 600B on the lower side of the vehicle are provided (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0022]

[0022] The upper link mechanism 600A includes, as arm members 610, first bearings 620, and second bearings 630, two arm members 610A, a first bearing 620A that rotatably supports one end of each of the two arm members 610A, and a second bearing 630A that rotatably supports the other end of each of the two arm members 610A (FIGS. 1 and 2). The first bearing 620A rotatably supports one end of each of the two arm members 610A with a pair of vehicle body side rotation shafts 621 and a first arm holding member 622. Further, the second bearing 630A rotatably supports the other end of each of the two arm members 610A with a pair of door side rotation shafts 631 and a second arm holding member 632. Since the arm member 610A shown here is a solid columnar member, it is excluded from the objects or components using the wire harness 1. However, if this arm member 610A has an opening and an internal space extending between one end and the other end, this arm member 610A may be an object or a component using the wire harness 1.

[0023] The lower link mechanism 600B comprises an arm member 610, a first bearing 620, and a second bearing 630, consisting of one arm member 610B, a first bearing 620B that rotatably supports one end of the arm member 610B, and a second bearing 630B that rotatably supports the other end of the arm member 610B (Figures 1 and 2). The first bearing 620B rotatably supports one end of the arm member 610B with a pair of vehicle-side rotating shafts 621 and a first arm holding member 622. The second bearing 630B rotatably supports the other end of the arm member 610B with a pair of door-side rotating shafts 631 and a second arm holding member 632. The arm member 610B shown here has an opening and internal space extending between its one end and the other, and therefore can be used as a component of the wire harness 1.

[0024] The arm member 610B has an internal space extending between its one end and the other through which the connecting portion 11 passes. Therefore, in this arm member 610B, its internal space becomes the harness routing path 610a through which the connecting portion 11 passes (Figures 1 to 3). The connecting portion 11 is passed between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520 through the harness routing path 610a inside this arm member 610B.

[0025] Furthermore, the arm member 610B has a harness insertion port 610b (Figure 3) extending from one end to the other, which is an opening that is perpendicular to the vertical direction of the vehicle and the sliding direction of the sliding door 520, and allows insertion into the harness routing path 610a of the connecting section 11.

[0026] Specifically, the arm member 610B has a side wall 611 positioned opposite the harness insertion opening 610b with the harness routing path 610a in between in a direction perpendicular to its orthogonal to the vehicle's vertical direction and the sliding direction of the sliding door 520, an upper wall 612 protruding from the upper edge of the side wall 611 toward the harness insertion opening 610b, and a lower wall 613 protruding from the lower edge of the side wall 611 toward the harness insertion opening 610b (Figure 3).

[0027] The arm member 610B may be installed with the harness insertion opening 610b facing the inner panel side of the sliding door 520, or it may be installed with the harness insertion opening 610b facing the interior side of the vehicle.

[0028] The link mechanism 600 includes an interior member 640 that covers the arm member 610 from the outside (Figures 1 to 3). This interior member 640 is formed into a cylindrical shape that extends between one end and the other end of the arm member 610, and the arm member 610 passes through the cylinder. The arm member 610, the first bearing 620, and the second bearing 630 are housed inside the cylinder of this interior member 640. The interior member 640 shown here is provided in the lower link mechanism 600B and houses one arm member 610B, the first bearing 620B, and the second bearing 630B inside the cylinder. The interior member 640 may also be provided in the upper link mechanism 600A. This interior member 640 houses two arm members 610A, the first bearing 620A, and the second bearing 630A inside the cylinder.

[0029] The harness body 10 is a bundle of multiple electric wires We bundled together (Figure 3). In this case, the multiple electric wires We are bundled in a cylindrical shape.

[0030] The wire harness 1 includes a harness holding structure 20 that holds the harness body 10 between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520 (Figure 3). The harness holding structure 20 has a harness insertion opening 610b that is narrower than the outer diameter of the connecting portion 11, within a range that allows the connecting portion 11 to be inserted into the harness routing path 610a, and a harness holding portion 21 is provided on the arm member 610B that locks the connecting portion 11 of the harness routing path 610a so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening 610b (Figure 3).

[0031] The harness holding portion 21 is formed as a wall portion that protrudes from the lower wall 613 toward the upper wall 612 between one end and the other end of the arm member 610B (Figure 3). The harness holding portion 21 is molded integrally with the arm member 610B as part of the arm member 610B.

[0032] The harness insertion opening 610b is narrower than the outer diameter of the connecting section 11, within a range that allows insertion of the connecting section 11 into the harness routing path 610a. Therefore, the connecting section 11 is capable of deforming multiple bundled wires We into an elliptical shape with a minor axis smaller than the width of the harness insertion opening 610b (Figure 4). In other words, the harness holding section 21 protrudes from the lower wall 613 toward the upper wall 612 to a position where the width of the harness insertion opening 610b is narrower than the outer diameter of the connecting section 11 and wider than the minor axis of the elliptical-shaped connecting section 11. For example, in the harness body 10, multiple wires We are bundled into a cylindrical shape with tape or the like at the vehicle body side routing section and the door side routing section. This allows the positions of the multiple wires We to be shifted in the connecting section 11, so that they can be deformed from a cylindrical bundle to an elliptical shape. Therefore, in the harness body 10, the connecting portion 11 is inserted from the harness insertion opening 610b into the harness cable routing 610a after being deformed from a cylindrical shape to an elliptical shape, or while being deformed from a cylindrical shape to an elliptical shape. After the connecting portion 11 is housed in the harness cable routing 610a, it may be returned to its cylindrical shape from an elliptical shape, or vice versa.

[0033] As described above, in this embodiment, the wire harness 1 houses the connecting portion 11 in the harness routing path 610a within the arm member 610B, and the harness holding structure 20 can secure the connecting portion 11 to the harness routing path 610a, thus reducing the exposure of the connecting portion 11 and improving its appearance. In particular, by orienting the harness insertion opening 610b of the arm member 610B toward the inner panel side of the sliding door 520, the connecting portion 11 can be hidden inside the arm member 610B, resulting in an even more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire harness 1 has the harness insertion opening 610b of the arm member 610B oriented in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the vehicle and the sliding direction of the sliding door 520, thus preventing foreign objects from entering through the harness insertion opening 610b.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire harness 1 houses the connecting portion 11 in the harness routing path 610a within the arm member 610B, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the interior member 640 and thus reducing the overall size of the device.

[0036] Thus, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment can suppress an increase in size without increasing the number of parts. [Differentiation]

[0037] Reference numeral 2 in Figure 5 indicates the wire harness of this modified example. This wire harness 2 corresponds to the wire harness 1 of the previously described embodiment, in which the arm member 610B is replaced with the arm member 610C described below, and the harness holding structure 20 is replaced with the harness holding structure 120 described below.

[0038] The arm member 610C of this modified example has a harness routing path 610a, a harness insertion opening 610b, a side wall 611, an upper wall 612, and a lower wall 613, similar to the arm member 610B of the embodiment (Figure 5). This arm member 610C may be installed with the harness insertion opening 610b facing the inner panel side of the sliding door 520, or it may be installed with the harness insertion opening 610b facing the interior side of the vehicle.

[0039] In this modified example, the harness holding structure 120 has a harness insertion opening 610b that is wider than the outer diameter of the connecting portion 11, and is equipped with a harness holding portion 121 on the arm member 610C that locks the connecting portion 11 of the harness routing 610a so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening 610b (Figure 5).

[0040] Here, the connecting section 11 in this modified example may be the same as in the embodiment, or it may be a configuration in which multiple electric wires We are housed inside a cylindrical outer casing (such as a corrugated tube).

[0041] The harness holding portion 121 is formed as a wall portion that protrudes from the lower wall 613 toward the upper wall 612 between one end and the other end of the arm member 610C, similar to the harness holding portion 21 in the embodiment (Figure 5). This harness holding portion 121 is molded integrally with the arm member 610C as part of the arm member 610C.

[0042] For example, the harness holder 121 protrudes from the lower wall 613 toward the upper wall 612 to a height H2 that is more than half the outer diameter of the crossover portion 11 that is placed on the lower wall 613 (i.e., the height H1 in the vehicle's vertical direction of the crossover portion 11) (Figure 5) in order to lock the crossover portion 11 of the harness routing 610a so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening 610b. Also, for example, the harness holder 121 protrudes from the lower wall 613 toward the upper wall 612 to a height higher than the center of gravity position Cg of the crossover portion 11 that is placed on the lower wall 613 in order to lock the crossover portion 11 of the harness routing 610a so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening 610b (Figure 5).

[0043] The wire harness 2 of this modified example, as shown above, houses the connecting portion 11 in the harness routing path 610a within the arm member 610C, just like the wire harness 1 of the embodiment, and the connecting portion 11 can be secured to the harness routing path 610a by the harness holding structure 120. This reduces the exposure of the connecting portion 11 and improves the appearance. In particular, this wire harness 2 can be made to look even better because the connecting portion 11 can be hidden inside the arm member 610C by orienting the harness insertion opening 610b of the arm member 610C toward the inner panel side of the sliding door 520.

[0044] Furthermore, in this modified example, the wire harness 2, like the wire harness 1 of the embodiment, has the harness insertion opening 610b of the arm member 610C oriented in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the vehicle and the sliding direction of the sliding door 520, thus preventing foreign objects from entering through the harness insertion opening 610b.

[0045] Furthermore, in this modified example, the wire harness 2, like the wire harness 1 of the embodiment, houses the connecting portion 11 in the harness routing path 610a within the arm member 610C, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the interior member 640 and thus reducing the overall size of the device.

[0046] Thus, the wire harness 2 of this modified example, like the wire harness 1 of the embodiment, can avoid increasing the size without increasing the number of parts.

[0047] Furthermore, in this modified wire harness 2, the width of the harness insertion opening 610b is wider than the outer diameter of the connecting portion 11, so it is not dependent on the shape of the connecting portion 11. For example, in this modified wire harness 2, it can be applied to a connecting portion 11 that is deformable, similar to the embodiment, or to a connecting portion 11 that is not deformable due to the presence of an outer covering such as a corrugated tube. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1,2 Wire harness 10 Harness body 11 Watari 20,120 Harness Retention Structure 21,121 Harness holding part 510 Body 520 Sliding Door 600 Link Mechanism 610, 610B, 610C Arm Members 610a Harness cable routing 610b Harness insertion port 611 Side wall 612 Upper wall 613 Lower wall Cg Center of gravity position H1, H2 Height We power lines

Claims

1. A bundle of multiple wires, comprising a harness body that electrically connects a first electrical connection target installed on the vehicle body and a second electrical connection target installed on the sliding door, A harness holding structure that holds the harness body between the vehicle body and the sliding door, Equipped with, The harness body has a connecting portion that is passed between the vehicle body and the sliding door through a harness routing path inside the arm member of the link mechanism that moves the sliding door back and forth in the sliding direction relative to the vehicle body, The arm member has an opening that extends from one end to the other, which is perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction and the sliding direction, and which allows insertion into the harness routing path of the connecting portion. The harness holding structure is provided with a harness holding portion on the arm member that narrows the width of the harness insertion opening to the outer diameter of the connecting portion within a range that allows insertion of the connecting portion into the harness routing path, and that locks the connecting portion of the harness routing path so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening. The wire harness is characterized in that the connecting portion can deform a plurality of bundled cylindrical electric wires into an elliptical shape with a shorter diameter smaller than the width of the harness insertion opening.

2. The arm member has a side wall positioned opposite the harness insertion opening in the orthogonal direction with the harness routing path in between, an upper wall protruding from the upper edge of the side wall toward the harness insertion opening, and a lower wall protruding from the lower edge of the side wall toward the harness insertion opening. The wire harness according to claim 1, characterized in that the harness holding portion is formed as a wall portion that protrudes from the lower wall toward the upper wall between one end and the other end of the arm member.

3. A harness body that electrically connects a first electrical connection target installed on the vehicle body and a second electrical connection target installed on the sliding door, A harness holding structure that holds the harness body between the vehicle body and the sliding door, Equipped with, The harness body has a connecting portion that is passed between the vehicle body and the sliding door through a harness routing path inside the arm member of the link mechanism that moves the sliding door back and forth in the sliding direction relative to the vehicle body, The arm member has a harness insertion port extending from one end to the other, which is an opening that is perpendicular to the vehicle's vertical direction and the sliding direction, and into which the harness cable routing of the crossover can be inserted. It also has a side wall positioned opposite the harness insertion port in the perpendicular direction with the harness cable routing in between, an upper wall protruding from the upper edge of the side wall toward the harness insertion port, and a lower wall protruding from the lower edge of the side wall toward the harness insertion port. The harness holding structure is provided with a harness holding portion on the arm member that widens the width of the harness insertion opening beyond the outer diameter of the connecting portion, and locks the connecting portion of the harness routing so that it does not come out of the harness insertion opening. The wire harness is characterized in that the harness holding portion is formed as a wall portion that protrudes from the lower wall toward the upper wall between one end and the other end of the arm member.

4. The wire harness according to claim 3, characterized in that the harness holding portion protrudes from the lower wall toward the upper wall to a height of at least half the vehicle's vertical height at the crossover portion that rests on the lower wall.

5. The wire harness according to claim 3, characterized in that the harness holding portion protrudes from the lower wall toward the upper wall, higher than the center of gravity of the connecting portion placed on the lower wall.

6. A wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises the aforementioned arm member.

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