Exterior parts and wire harnesses with exterior parts

Abstract

To provide an exterior member that can be easily attached to a wire harness externally, and a wire harness with the exterior member.SOLUTION: An exterior member 20 includes: an exterior body 30 externally attached to at least part of a wire harness 10 along a longitudinal direction L; and a band-like band body 40 that extends from the exterior body 30 in a width direction W and is wound on an external side of the wire harness 10. The exterior body 30 and the band body 40 are constructed of a seat material 70. A band fixing part 33 for fixing the band body 40 wound on the external side of the wire harness 10 is provided on the exterior body 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior member that is arranged to exterior a wire harness and a wire harness with an exterior member that is exteriorized with the exterior member. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a wire harness is arranged in a vehicle taking into consideration the types of electrical devices mounted on the vehicle, the positional relationship with a battery that supplies power, etc. To prevent interference with other components arranged in the vicinity, this wire harness may be housed in an exterior member that is composed of, for example, a base body having an opening for housing the wire harness and a cover that covers the opening (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In recent years, with the increase in electrical equipment aimed at improving operability and safety, the wiring paths of wire harnesses have become more complex. Therefore, there is a demand for exterior members that can easily be applied to the exterior of wire harnesses according to the wiring locations of the wire harnesses. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-182897 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an exterior member that can easily be applied to a wire harness, and a wire harness with an exterior member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a wire harness having an exterior body that covers at least a part of a wire harness along a longitudinal direction, and a band body that extends from the exterior body in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and is wound around the outside of the wire harness, the exterior body and the band body being made of a resin sheet material, and the exterior body is provided with a band fixing portion that fixes the band body wound around the outside of the wire harness. The band fixing portion is provided on one side in the transverse direction, and the band body extends in the transverse direction from the inner side of the band fixing portion in the transverse direction. It is an exterior component.

[0007] The present invention also relates to a wire harness with an exterior member, which is provided with the above-mentioned exterior member and the wire harness, in which at least a portion of the wire harness is exteriorized by the exterior body along the longitudinal direction, and the band body is wrapped around the outside of the wire harness and fixed by the band fixing portion.

[0008] The resin sheet material is not particularly limited as long as it can be folded, and includes both thermoplastic resin sheet materials and thermosetting resin sheet materials. In addition, it is preferable that the resin sheet material is a synthetic resin foam sheet material composed of a synthetic resin foam molded into a foamed or porous shape. This makes it possible to provide the harness attachment member with excellent flexibility and cushioning properties, and to further improve wearability and processability. The band fixing portion includes a structure for locking the band body to the exterior body, a structure for fitting the band body to the exterior body by press-fitting, etc.

[0009] The band body may be cut out as a single unit together with the outer casing from a single sheet of resin material and configured as a single unit with the outer casing, or may be fixed by welding, adhesive, or the like to the outer casing which is configured separately, and configured as a single unit. The band body may be provided in one or more.

[0010] According to this invention, the exterior body on which the wire harness is disposed and the band body wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness are made of flexible resin sheets. Therefore, when the band body is wrapped around the wire harness and fixed to the band fixing part, the exterior body and the band body deform appropriately, and the band body can be easily fixed to the exterior body. Therefore, the workability of the assembly work of assembling the exterior member to the wire harness can be improved, and the exterior member can be easily attached to the wire harness.

[0011] In addition, the resin sheets constituting the exterior body and the band body are easier to process and lighter than resin-molded protectors, and therefore it is possible to improve productivity while reducing the weight of the exterior member and the wire harness with an exterior member in which the exterior member is attached to the wire harness.

[0012] The band fixing portion is provided on one side in the transverse direction, and the band body extends in the transverse direction from an inner side of the band fixing portion in the transverse direction. This allows the wire harness and the exterior body to be wound together with the band body, thereby making it possible to more firmly fix the wire harness to the exterior body.

[0013] As an aspect of the present invention, a locking portion protruding in the width direction of the band body is provided on the tip side of the band body, and the band fixing portion may be a lockable portion that locks with the locking portion of the band body when inserted. According to this invention, the band body can be fixed to the engaging portion by a simple structure in which the engaging portion protruding in the width direction of the band at the tip side of the band body is engaged with the engaging portion provided on the exterior member. Therefore, the wire harness can be easily sheathed in the exterior member with a simple structure.

[0014] As a further aspect of the present invention, the engagement portion may be formed in a tapered shape that gradually narrows from a base end side to a tip end side of the band body. According to this invention, when the tapered locking portion is inserted into the locked portion, the locking portion can be guided to the locked portion, thereby allowing the locking portion to be locked to the locked portion easily and reliably.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention, the engaging portion formed in a tapered shape may be arranged in a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction of the band. According to the present invention, the locking portion can be selected from a plurality of locking portions arranged in stages according to the outer diameter of the wire harness, and can be locked to the locked portion. Therefore, the exterior member can be easily attached to wire harnesses of various outer diameters, and the positional deviation of the wire harness with respect to the exterior member can be prevented.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention, an insertion hole through which the band body is inserted may be provided on the other side of the band fixing portion in the intersecting direction. According to this invention, the band body can be prevented from expanding in the intersecting direction, and therefore the band body can be prevented from interfering with and being damaged by other members arranged outside the exterior member.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention, the exterior body may be provided with an insertion hole through which the band body is inserted. The insertion hole may be provided in a single or multiple number. In addition, when a plurality of insertion holes are provided, the insertion hole may be provided in a multiple number along at least one of the width direction and the length direction.

[0018] According to the present invention, the band body wrapped around the wire harness can be inserted into the insertion hole, and the outside of the wire harness can be further wrapped with the band body. This allows the exterior body to be reliably wrapped around the wire harness, and prevents the wire harness from falling off.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the insertion holes may be provided for one band body. The insertion hole may be provided in a plurality of directions along at least one of the width direction and the length direction.

[0020] According to this invention, the insertion hole through which the band body is inserted can be appropriately selected. For example, the band body can be inserted into an appropriate insertion hole according to the outer diameter of the wire harness and fixed to the band fixing part. In this way, by appropriately selecting the insertion hole through which the band body is inserted, the wire harness can be reliably fixed to the exterior body and the positional deviation of the wire harness with respect to the exterior body can be prevented.

[0021] Furthermore, when a plurality of insertion holes are provided along the width direction, a plurality of wire harnesses can be attached to the exterior body using one band body, which makes it possible to accommodate various designs of wire harnesses.

[0022] As a further aspect of the present invention, the insertion holes may be disposed at different positions from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction. According to this invention, the band body can be wound around the wire harness in a spiral shape by inserting the band body into the insertion holes arranged at different positions from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to bring the wire harness into close contact with the exterior body along the longitudinal direction and suppress bending. Therefore, the wire harness can be reliably protected and the excess length of the wire harness can be shortened.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention, the insertion holes adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction may be disposed on different sides in the intersecting direction. According to the present invention, by inserting the band body into the insertion holes arranged on different sides in the intersecting direction, the band body can be stably wound in a spiral shape around the wire harness, thereby allowing the exterior member to be stably exteriorized around the wire harness.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, the exterior body may be folded in the width direction at a folding portion provided in a midway portion in the width direction. According to this invention, by folding the exterior body at the folding portion, the wire harness can be surrounded by the folded exterior body, so that the wire harness can be protected more reliably.

[0025] As a further aspect of the present invention, the exterior body and the band body, which are constructed separately, may be fixed by welding. According to this invention, the band body can be cut out from the resin sheet as a separate body from the exterior body and welded and fixed to the exterior body, which can improve yield and productivity compared to a case where the band body extending in a cross direction of the exterior body and the exterior body are cut out as a single body. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an exterior member that can easily exteriorly cover a wire harness, and a wire harness with an exterior member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a wire harness with an exterior member. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a wire harness with an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a front view of a wire harness with an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a front view of a wire harness with an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view of a wire harness with an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is a plan view of an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a front view of a wire harness with an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an exterior member according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a front view of a wire harness with an exterior member according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a wire harness 1 with an exterior member, and Fig. 2 shows a plan view of an exterior member 20. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a resin sheet material 70 (hereinafter referred to as sheet material 70) from which the exterior body 30 and band body 40 constituting the exterior member 20 are cut out, and Fig. 4 shows a side view of the wire harness 1 with an exterior member in which wire harnesses 10 with different outer diameters are exteriorized in the exterior member 20.

[0029] Regarding Figure 4 in more detail, Figure 4(a) shows a side view of a wire harness with an exterior member 1 in which an exterior member 20 is arranged around a wire harness 10 having a large outer diameter, and Figure 4(b) shows a side view of a wire harness with an exterior member 1 in which an exterior member 20 is arranged around a wire harness 10 having a small outer diameter.

[0030] 1 is defined as a vertical direction Z, and the extending direction of the wire harness 10 is defined as a longitudinal direction L. The width direction of the exterior member 20 in Fig. 1 is defined as a width direction W. The longitudinal direction L, the width direction W, and the vertical direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the wire harness 1 with an exterior member is composed of a wire harness 10 that is arranged in a vehicle and an exterior member 20 that is arranged to exteriorly cover a portion of the wire harness 10 along the longitudinal direction L of the wire harness 10.

[0032] The wire harness 10 electrically connects electrical devices that are installed in a vehicle as standard, such as a battery, and is protected and positionally restricted by an exterior member 20, for example, at a location where it is routed near other components installed in the vehicle.

[0033] Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the wire harness 10 is composed of a wire harness 10a that electrically connects electrical devices that are installed in the vehicle as standard, such as a battery, and a wire harness 10b that electrically connects optional devices that are installed as options to electrical devices that are installed in the vehicle as standard, such as a battery.

[0034] The exterior member 20 is a flexible protective member and is composed of a flat exterior body 30 along the longitudinal direction L of the wire harness 10 and a band body 40 extending in the width direction W of the exterior body 30.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the exterior body 30 is integrally formed with an exterior body main body 31 having a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, and wire fixing portions 32 protruding in the longitudinal direction L from both ends of the exterior body main body 31 in the longitudinal direction L. The exterior body 31, which is generally rectangular in plan view, is made of a rectangular thin plate material cut from a sheet material 70 described later. The wire harness 10 is disposed on a surface 311 of the exterior body 31.

[0036] In addition, two band bodies 40 extend from one side of the exterior body main body 31 in the width direction W, and two band fixing portions 33 penetrating in the plate thickness direction are provided at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction L on the other side of the width direction W. In addition, a welded fixing portion 50 is formed at the connecting portion between the exterior body 31 and the electric wire fixing portion 32 and at the connecting portion between the exterior body 31 and the band body 40.

[0037] The band fixing portion 33 provided in the exterior body 31 is a through hole configured to allow the band body 40 to be inserted and locked. In detail, the band fixing portion 33 is composed of a locking hole 331 that penetrates the exterior body 31 in the plate thickness direction on the inner side in the width direction W of the exterior body 31 than the end portion in the width direction W, and a deformation promoting portion 332 that communicates between the locking hole 331 and the outer side in the width direction W of the exterior body 31.

[0038] The locking hole 331 is a through-hole having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, penetrating the exterior body 31 in the plate thickness direction of the exterior body 31. The locking hole 331 is configured so that its long side along the longitudinal direction L is generally the same length as the width length (length in the longitudinal direction L) of the band body 41 described below, and its short side along the width direction W is generally the same length as the plate thickness of the band body 41.

[0039] The deformation promoting portion 332 is a through-hole provided on the outside of the locking hole 331 in the width direction W, penetrating the exterior body main body 31 in the plate thickness direction of the exterior body main body 31, and communicates with a central portion of the locking hole 331 in the longitudinal direction L and the outside of the exterior body main body 31 in the width direction W. The length of the deformation promoting portion 332 in the longitudinal direction L is configured to be shorter than that of the locking hole 331.

[0040] The band fixing part 33 configured in this manner is provided at a position corresponding to the band body 40. In other words, the band fixing part 33 is provided on the opposite side in the width direction W to the welding fixing part 50 that connects the exterior body 31 and the band body 40.

[0041] The electric wire fixing portion 32 extends from a central portion in a width direction W of the exterior body 31 along a longitudinal direction L. The length of the electric wire fixing portion 32 in the width direction W is configured to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the wire harness 10a.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the band body 40 is composed of a band main body 41 extending in the width direction W and a plurality of locking portions 42 provided on the tip side of the band main body 41. The band body 41 is a strip-shaped flat plate whose width (length along the longitudinal direction L) is shorter than its length along the width direction W, and has sufficient flexibility to be bent along the width direction W to the opposite side of the fused fixing part 50. The band body 41 has the same plate thickness as the exterior body 31.

[0043] The locking portion 42 is configured in a generally isosceles trapezoidal shape in plan view, with a portion protruding in the width direction (longitudinal direction L) of the band body 41 in plan view. In detail, the locking portion 42 is configured in a generally isosceles trapezoidal shape in plan view, with sides along the longitudinal direction L parallel to each other and inclined inward in the longitudinal direction L as it approaches the outside in the width direction W (the direction opposite to the direction in which the band body 41 is connected to the exterior body 30). The length of the shorter side of the two parallel sides along the longitudinal direction L is the same as the width of the band body 41.

[0044] 2, the locking portion 42 is formed in a tapered shape that gradually narrows from the base end side (the side where the band body 41 is connected to the exterior body 30) of the band body 41 toward the tip end side. The locking portion 42 protrudes in the width direction (longitudinal direction L) of the band body 41 beyond the band body 41 toward the base end side.

[0045] The three locking portions 42 configured in this manner are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction (width direction W) of the band body 41. The intervals between the three aligned locking portions 42 are configured to be longer than the plate thickness of the exterior body 31. The three locking portions 42 arranged side by side in this manner are designated as locking portions 42a, 42b, and 42c from the tip end to the base end of the band body 41.

[0046] The exterior member 20 configured in this manner is manufactured by punching out the exterior body main body 31, the wire fixing portion 32, and the band body 40 from an elastic sheet material 70, which has flexibility allowing it to be bent, and then welding the wire fixing portion 32 and the band body 40 to the punched-out exterior body main body 31 at the desired positions.

[0047] This will be explained in more detail below. The sheet material 70 is a thermoplastic resin foam sheet made of a synthetic resin foam molded into a foamed or porous shape, and has a certain rigidity, flexibility, elasticity, and thermoplasticity. In addition, since it is formed in a sheet shape, it has excellent processability. Furthermore, it is lighter than a molded resin product (e.g., made of polypropylene) having the same shape as the exterior member 20.

[0048] The density of the resin sheet constituting the sheet material 70 is not particularly limited. For example, the density of the resin sheet constituting the sheet material 70 is set to 200 kg / m in order to prevent anisotropy of mechanical properties, that is, to make the mechanical properties isotropic, thereby improving the degree of freedom in designing the exterior member 20 and to further improve the strength against stress of the wire harness 10 exteriorized in the exterior member 20. 3 More than 1000Kg / m 3 The preferred range is 300 kg / m or less. From the viewpoint of further improving the balance between light weight and mechanical strength, 3 More than 600Kg / m 3 Less than 350Kg / m is more preferable. 3 More than 550Kg / m 3 The following are particularly preferred:

[0049] The thickness of the sheet material 70 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.50 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less, and particularly preferably 1.0 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the balance between the ease of folding and the mechanical strength, particularly the mechanical strength against the stress applied to the wire harness 10 sheathed in the sheath member 20. The thermoplastic resin foamed sheet may have a non-foamed layer formed on both sides or one side.

[0050] That is, the sheet material 70 (thermoplastic resin foam sheet) may have a foam layer and a non-foam layer formed on the foam layer. By forming a non-foam layer on the surface of the thermoplastic resin foam sheet, the mechanical strength of the exterior member 20 is improved, and the protective performance of the exterior wire harness 10 is further improved. The thickness of the non-foam layer is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0051] The cell density of the foamed layer of the sheet material 70 is not particularly limited, and the lower limit is set to 800 cells / mm in order to more reliably prevent anisotropy of mechanical properties. 3 More than 1000 pieces / mm is preferable. 3 On the other hand, the upper limit of the cell density is set to, for example, 10 cells / mm from the viewpoint of more reliably obtaining excellent mechanical strength. 3 The following can be mentioned:

[0052] From the sheet material 70 as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular mold (main body mold 31A) that matches the outer shape of the exterior body 31, a rectangular mold (fixing portion mold 32A) that matches the outer shape of the wire fixing portion 32, and a mold (band mold 40A) that matches the outer shape of the band body 40 are each separately punched out.

[0053] Then, the band fixing parts 33, 33 are provided by penetrating the main body mold 31A in the plate thickness direction at predetermined positions, and the fixing part mold 32A and the band mold 40A are placed one on top of the other at desired positions of the main body mold 31A, and the fixing part mold 32A and the band mold 40A are welded to the main body mold 31A by applying heat. This makes it possible to manufacture the exterior member 20 in which the exterior body 30 and the band body 40 are integrally configured.

[0054] In this manner, the exterior member 20 is formed by separately punching out the exterior body 31, the electric wire fixing portion 32, and the band body 40 from the sheet material 70 and then welding and fixing them. This makes it possible to improve the yield of the sheet material 70 and improve productivity, compared to a case in which the exterior member 20 is punched out from the sheet material 70. In addition, the design of various shapes of the exterior member 20 can be changed according to the arrangement location and arrangement shape relative to the wire harness 10.

[0055] Next, a method for fitting the thus manufactured exterior member 20 to the wire harness 10 will be briefly described. First, the wire harness 10 is placed in the center of the front surface 311 of the exterior body 31 in the width direction W, and the wire harness 10a and the electric wire fixing portion 32 are fixed with the fixing tape B.

[0056] Then, the band body 40 extending from the width direction W of the exterior body 31 is wound around the outside of the wire harness 10, and the locking portion 42 provided at the end of the band body 41 is inserted into the band fixing portion 33 and locked. More specifically, the locking portion 42 (locking portion 42a) provided at the end of the band body 41 wound around the outside of the wire harness 10 is inserted into the locking hole 331. At this time, since the deformation promoting portion 332 communicating between the locking hole 331 and the outside in the width direction W is provided, the insertion of the locking portion 42a into the locking hole 331 causes the end of the locking hole 331 in the longitudinal direction L to be warped and deformed toward the back side of the exterior body 31. This allows the locking portion 42a to be inserted into the locking hole 331.

[0057] Then, the locking portion 42a penetrates the locking hole 331, so that the locking hole 331 returns to its original shape, and the band main body 41 is inserted into the locking hole 331, and the rear surface 312 of the exterior body 31 and the locking portion 42 can be locked together. This allows the exterior member 20 to be fitted around the wire harness 10 (see FIG. 4(a)).

[0058] Furthermore, when the outer dimensions of the wire harnesses 10a and 10b are small, the locking portion 42 (42b) is inserted into the locking hole 331, thereby enabling the exterior member 20 to be securely fitted around the wire harness 10 (see FIG. 4(b)). In this manner, by providing a plurality of locking portions 42 in stages, the exterior member 20 can be fitted around wire harnesses 10 having various outer diameters.

[0059] In this manner, the exterior member 20 has an exterior body 30 that covers at least a part of the wire harness 10 along the longitudinal direction L, and a belt-shaped band body 40 that extends from the exterior body 30 in the width direction W and wraps around the outside of the wire harness 10. The exterior body 30 and the band body 40 are made of a sheet material 70, and the exterior body 30 is provided with a band fixing portion 33 that fixes the band body 40 wrapped around the outside of the wire harness 10.

[0060] The wire harness 1 with an exterior member includes an exterior member 20 and a wire harness 10, and at least a portion of the wire harness 10 is exteriorized by an exterior body 30 along the longitudinal direction L. A band body 40 is wound around the outside of the wire harness 10 and fixed by a band fixing portion 33.

[0061] As described above, the exterior member 20 is configured such that the exterior body 30 that places the wire harness 10 in the exterior body 30 and the band body 40 that is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 10 are made of the flexible sheet material 70. Therefore, when the band body 40 is wound around the wire harness 10 and fixed to the band fixing portion 33, the exterior body 30 and the band body 40 deform appropriately, and the band body 40 can be easily fixed to the exterior body 30. Therefore, the workability of the assembly work of assembling the exterior member 20 to the wire harness 10 can be improved, and the exterior member 20 can be easily exteriorly attached to the wire harness 10.

[0062] Furthermore, the sheet material 70 constituting the exterior body 30 and the band body 40 is easier to process and lighter than a resin-molded protector, etc. Therefore, the productivity of the exterior member 20 can be improved while reducing the weight of the wire harness 1 with the exterior member 20 and the exterior member 20 in which the wire harness 10 is exteriorized with the exterior member 20.

[0063] Further, a locking portion 42 protruding in the band-like width direction (longitudinal direction L) is provided on the tip side of the band body 40, and the locking portion 42 of the inserted band body 40 is locked to the band fixing portion 33. This allows the band body 40 to be locked to the band fixing portion 33 with a simple configuration in which the locking portion 42 protruding from the tip side of the band body 40 in the band-like width direction (longitudinal direction L) is locked to the band fixing portion 33 provided on the exterior body 30. Therefore, the wire harness 10 can be easily sheathed in the exterior member 20 with a simple configuration.

[0064] Furthermore, the locking portion 42 is formed in a tapered shape that gradually narrows from the base end side to the tip end side of the band body 40, so that the locking portion 42 can be inserted while being guided by the band fixing portion 33. Therefore, the locking portion 42 can be easily and reliably locked to the band fixing portion 33.

[0065] Furthermore, since a plurality of (three) tapered locking portions 42 are arranged along the length of the band body 41 formed in a belt shape, the locking portions 42 arranged in stages can be selected and locked to the band fixing portion 33 according to the outer diameter of the wire harness 10. Therefore, the exterior member 20 can be easily attached to wire harnesses 10 having various outer diameters, and the positional deviation of the wire harness 10 with respect to the exterior member 20 can be prevented.

[0066] Moreover, the exterior body 30 and the band body 40, which are configured separately, are fixed by welding. That is, the band body 40, which is punched out from the sheet material 70 as a separate body from the exterior body 30, can be fixed by welding to the exterior body 30. This can improve the yield and productivity compared to a case where the band body 40 extending from the intersecting direction of the exterior body 30 and the exterior body 30 are punched out from the sheet material 70 as a single body.

[0067] Further, the configuration of the exterior member 20 is not limited to this, and various other embodiments are possible. For example, an exterior member 20w, which is another embodiment of the exterior member 20, and a wire harness with an exterior member 1w in which the exterior member 20w is arranged to exterior the wire harness 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0068] Here, Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the exterior member 20w, and Fig. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a wire harness 1w with an exterior member in which the exterior member 20w is arranged to exteriorly cover the wire harness 10. In Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the same components as those in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 5, the exterior member 20w is composed of an exterior body 30w corresponding to the exterior body 30, and a band body 40. Exterior body 30w is composed of exterior body main body 31w and electric wire fixing portion 32, and exterior body main body 31w is provided with a plurality of band fixing portions 33 as well as insertion holes .

[0070] The exterior body main body 31w is a rectangular plate-like body punched out from the sheet material 70, similar to the exterior body main body 31, and has electric wire fixing parts 32 welded to both ends in the longitudinal direction L. Also, a band body 40 is welded and fixed to both ends in the width direction W. The band body 40 welded and fixed to the exterior body main body 31w is welded such that the longitudinal direction of the band body 40 is aligned in a direction inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction L.

[0071] Moreover, unlike the exterior member 20, the band fixing portion 33 provided on the exterior body 31w is provided at a position away from the position facing the welded fixing portion 50. Specifically, on the opposite side of the width direction W from the welded fixing portion 50, the band body 41 is provided in a direction in which the band body 41 extends further than the position facing the welded fixing portion 50 of the corresponding band body 40.

[0072] The insertion hole 34 is a rectangular through-hole penetrating the exterior body 31w in the plate thickness direction. More specifically, the insertion hole 34 is a rectangular through-hole whose long side is along the longitudinal direction L and whose short side is along the width direction W, and the length of the long side is the same as that of the locking portion 42 protruding from the width direction of the band body 41. The short side is slightly longer than the plate thickness of the band body 41. That is, the insertion hole 34 is configured to allow the locking portion 42 to be inserted therethrough.

[0073] A total of two insertion holes 34 configured in this manner are provided for each band body 40, one on each end side in the width direction W. That is, a total of four insertion holes 34 are provided for the two band bodies 40 in the exterior member 20w.

[0074] The insertion holes 34 provided on both ends in the width direction W are arranged at different positions along the longitudinal direction L. Specifically, the insertion hole 34 (referred to as insertion hole 34a) provided on the side opposite to the side connected to the band body 40 in the width direction W, and the insertion hole 34 (referred to as insertion hole 34b) on the side connected to the band body 40 in the width direction W are arranged along the longitudinal direction L. Also, the band fixing portion 33 is provided on the side opposite to the side connected to the band body 40 in the width direction W.

[0075] Next, a method for mounting the thus configured exterior member 20w on the wire harness 10 will be briefly described. First, the wire harness 10 is placed in the exterior body 31w, and the wire harness 10a is fixed by tape to the electric wire fixing portion 32. Then, the band body 40 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 10 placed in the exterior body 31w, and the tip of the band body 40 is inserted into the insertion hole 34a.

[0076] Next, the band body 40 is inserted into the insertion hole 34b from the back side of the exterior body 31w, and is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 10. Then, the locking portion 42 is inserted into the locking hole 331, and the locking portion 42 and the band fixing portion 33 are locked together.

[0077] 6, the band body 40 can be wound in a spiral shape around the wire harness 10, so that the exterior member 20w can be more reliably wrapped around the wire harness 10. In addition, by inserting the band body 40 into the insertion holes 34 arranged on both sides in the width direction W, the band body 40 can be stably wound around the wire harness 10.

[0078] Furthermore, when the locking portion 42 is locked to the band fixing portion 33, an external force acts so that the locking portion 42 is slightly tilted relative to the locking hole 331, thereby allowing the locking portion 42 to be locked to the band fixing portion 33 more firmly.

[0079] The exterior member 20w configured in this manner has a similar configuration to the exterior member 20, and exerts the same effects. In addition, since the exterior body 30 is provided with the insertion hole 34 through which the band body 40 is inserted, the band body 40 wound around the wire harness 10 can be inserted into the insertion hole 34, and the outside of the wire harness 10 can be further wrapped with the band body 40. This allows the exterior body 30 to be reliably wrapped around the wire harness 10, and prevents the wire harness 10 from falling off.

[0080] Moreover, the insertion holes 34 are arranged at different positions from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction L. As a result, by inserting the band body 40 into the insertion holes 34 arranged at different positions from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction L, the band body 40 can be wound spirally around the wire harness 10.

[0081] This makes it possible to suppress bending by bringing the wire harness 10 into close contact with the exterior body 30 along the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, the wire harness 10 can be reliably protected and the excess length of the wire harness 10 can be shortened.

[0082] In addition, the insertion holes 34 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction L are arranged on different sides in the width direction W, so that, in a state in which the wire harness 10 is arranged on the exterior body 30, the band body 40 can be inserted into the insertion holes 34 arranged on different sides in the width direction W. This allows the band body 40 to be stably wound in a spiral shape around the wire harness 10, and allows the exterior member 20 to be stably exteriorized around the wire harness 10.

[0083] Furthermore, an exterior member 20x which is another embodiment of the exterior member 20 and a wire harness with an exterior member 1x in which the exterior member 20x is arranged to exteriorly cover the wire harness 10 will be described with reference to Figs. Here, Fig. 7 shows a plan view of an exterior member 20x, and Fig. 8 shows a front view of a wire harness 1x with an exterior member in which the exterior member 20x is arranged to exteriorly cover the wire harness 10. In Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 7, the exterior member 20x has substantially the same configuration as the exterior member 20, and is composed of an exterior body 30x corresponding to the exterior body 30 and a band body 40. The exterior body 30x is composed of an exterior body main body 31x having an insertion hole 34 provided in the center portion in the width direction W, and an electric wire fixing portion 32.

[0085] The exterior body 31x will be described in detail. The exterior body 31x is a plate-like body having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, and has two insertion holes 34 arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction L in the central portion in the width direction W. The insertion holes 34 are provided at positions corresponding to the band fixing portion 33 and the band body 40. In other words, the insertion holes 34 are provided at positions sandwiched between the band fixing portions 33 and the band body 40 provided at both ends in the width direction W.

[0086] The exterior member 20x configured in this manner can be used to exterior two wire harnesses 10 (hereinafter referred to as the wire harness 10a and the wire harness 10b). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the band body 40 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 10a arranged on the front surface 311 of the exterior body main body 31x, and the band body 40 is inserted into the insertion hole 34. Furthermore, the band body 40 can be wound around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 10b arranged on the back surface 312 of the exterior body main body 31x, and the locking portion 42 can be locked to the band fixing portion 33. This allows the exterior member 20x to exterior two wire harnesses 10.

[0087] Further, the exterior member 20x has only one insertion hole 34, but, for example, like an exterior member 20y shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of insertion holes 34 may be provided in an exterior body 31y along the width direction W.

[0088] Here, Fig. 9 shows a plan view of the exterior member 20y. Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 10(b) show front views of a wire harness with an exterior member 1y in which wire harnesses 10 having different outer diameters are covered with an exterior member 20y, and Fig. 10(c) shows a front view of a wire harness with an exterior member 1y in which a plurality of wire harnesses 10 are covered with an exterior member 20y. In Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 9, the exterior member 20y is composed of an exterior body 30y and three band bodies 40. The exterior body 30y is composed of an exterior body main body 31y and three wire fixing parts 32 extending in the longitudinal direction L, and a band fixing part 33 corresponding to the band body 40 is provided on the opposite side to the band body 40 in the width direction W. In addition, the exterior body main body 31y is provided with six insertion holes 34 corresponding to the band body 40, two of which are provided along the width direction W.

[0090] In this way, by providing a plurality of insertion holes 34 along the width direction W, wire harnesses 10 having different outer diameters can be reliably fixed to the exterior member 20y (see Figs. 10(a) and 10(b)). In addition, by selectively inserting the band body 40 into the plurality of insertion holes 34, the exterior member 20y can be sheathed around a plurality of wire harnesses 10 (see Fig. 10(c)).

[0091] In this way, by providing a plurality of insertion holes 34 for one band body 40, it is possible to appropriately select the insertion hole 34 through which the band body 40 is inserted. As a result, for example, the band body 40 can be inserted into an appropriate insertion hole 34 according to the outer diameter of the wire harness 10 and fixed to the exterior body 30y. Therefore, the wire harness 10 can be reliably fixed to the exterior body 30y and positional deviation can be prevented.

[0092] Furthermore, when a plurality of insertion holes 34 are provided along the width direction, a plurality of wire harnesses 10 can be assembled to the exterior body 30y using one band body 40. This makes it possible to accommodate various designs of the wire harness 10 and to retrofit the wire harness 10 to the exterior body 30y.

[0093] Furthermore, an exterior member 20z which is another embodiment of the exterior member 20 and a wire harness with an exterior member 1z in which the exterior member 20z is arranged to exteriorly cover the wire harness 10 will be described with reference to Figs.

[0094] Here, Fig. 11 shows a plan view of the exterior member 20z, and Fig. 12 shows a front view of the wire harness 1z with an exterior member in which the exterior member 20z is arranged to exteriorly cover the wire harness 10. In Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the same components as those in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] 11, the wire harness with an exterior member 1z is configured with an exterior body main body 31z, an electric wire fixing portion 32, and three band bodies 40. The exterior body main body 31z is provided with two band fixing portions 33 corresponding to the band bodies 40.

[0096] Furthermore, the exterior body 31z is provided with a folding portion 35 along the longitudinal direction L on the inside of the width direction W of the band fixing portion 33. The folding portion 35 is configured so that a part of the exterior body 31z can be folded upward (toward the surface 311).

[0097] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in the exterior member 20z configured in this manner, the wire harness 10a is positioned in the central portion of the exterior body main body 31z, the wire harness 10b is positioned parallel to the wire harness 10a, and one end side of the width direction W of the exterior body main body 31 can be folded by the folding portion 35.

[0098] In this state, by engaging and fixing the band body 40 to the band fixing portion 33, the exterior member 20z can be covered on the wire harnesses 10a and 10b, and the side and bottom surfaces of the wire harness 10 can be protected by the exterior body main body 31z.

[0099] The exterior member 20z configured in this manner has a similar configuration to the exterior member 20, and exerts the same effects. Moreover, the exterior body 30z is folded in the width direction at a folding portion 35 provided in the middle of the width direction W. As a result, by folding the exterior body main body 31 at the folding portion 35, the wire harness 10 arranged in the exterior body main body 31 can be surrounded, so that the wire harness 10 can be protected more reliably.

[0100] In correspondence with the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The wire harness of the present invention corresponds to the wire harness 10, Similarly, The exterior body is compatible with exterior bodies 30, 30w, 30x, 30y, and 30z. The cross direction corresponds to the width direction W, The band body corresponds to the band body 40, The resin sheet material corresponds to sheet material 70. The band fixing part corresponds to the band fixing part 33, The exterior members correspond to exterior members 20, 20w, 20x, 20y, and 20z, The locking portion corresponds to the locking portion 42, The engaged portion corresponds to the band fixing portion 33, The insertion hole corresponds to the insertion hole 34, The bent portion corresponds to the bent portion 35, The wire harness with an exterior member corresponds to the wire harness with an exterior member 1, 1w, 1x, 1y, and 1z, The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0101] For example, in this embodiment, the sheet material 70 is made of a synthetic resin foam that is molded into a foamed or porous shape, has thermoplastic properties, and is bendable, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the sheet material 70 may be made of a synthetic resin foam that is molded into a foamed or porous shape, has thermosetting properties, and is bendable. Furthermore, the sheet material 70 may be made of a synthetic resin instead of a synthetic resin foam. It is preferable that the sheet material 70 is a synthetic resin foam sheet material made of a synthetic resin foam that is molded into a foamed or porous shape.

[0102] In addition, in this embodiment, the band fixing portion 33 is configured to engage the band body 40 (locking portion 42) with the exterior body 30, but it may also be configured to engage the band body 40 (locking portion 42) by pressing it into the exterior body 30, for example.

[0103] Furthermore, the exterior member 20 is configured such that the band body 40 and the exterior body 30, which are configured separately, are fixed together by welding to form an integrated structure. However, for example, the exterior body 30 and the band body 40 may be cut out as a single unit from a single sheet material 70 to form the integrated exterior member 20, or the exterior body 30 and the band body 40 may be fixed together by another method such as adhesion. The band body 40 may be singular or may be plural.

[0104] Furthermore, the directions in which the band fixing portion 33 and the band body 40 are provided do not have to be opposite sides of the width direction W, and both the band fixing portion 33 and the band body 40 may be provided on one side of the width direction W (see Figure 13).

[0105] 13, the band body 40 extends in the width direction W from the inside of the width direction W of the band fixing portion 33. In this case, as shown in Fig. 14, the wire harness 10 is placed on the exterior body main body 31, and the band body 40 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the wire harness 10. In addition, after the band body 40 is wound around the other end of the exterior body main body 31 in the width direction W and turned around the back surface side, the locking portion 42 is inserted into the locking hole 331 from the back surface side of the exterior body main body 31, and the locking portion 42 and the band fixing portion 33 are locked together.

[0106] This allows the band body 40 to be wound around the wire harness 10 and the exterior body 30, so that the wire harness 10 can be more reliably sheathed around the exterior member 20. In addition, since the wire harness 10 is fastened by the band body 40, the band body 40 can be stably wound around the wire harness 10.

[0107] 15, the band fixing portion 33 and the band body 40 may be provided on one side in the width direction W, and an insertion hole 34 may be provided at the other end of the exterior body main body 31 in the width direction W by cutting out the insertion hole 34 on the inside in the width direction W. The insertion hole 34 is provided at a position opposite to the welded fixing portion 50 at which the band body 40 and the exterior body main body 31 are welded together.

[0108] In this case, similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the band body 40 is wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness 10 placed in the exterior body main body 31, the band body 40 is inserted into the through hole 44, and the locking portion 42 is inserted into the locking hole 331 from the back side of the exterior body main body 31, so that the locking portion 42 and the band fixing portion 33 are locked together.

[0109] This allows the band body 40 to be wound around the wire harness 10, so that the wire harness 10 can be more reliably sheathed around the exterior member 20. In addition, since the wire harness 10 is fastened by the band body 40, the band body 40 can be stably wound around the wire harness 10. Furthermore, since the band body 40 can be prevented from expanding in the width direction W, it is possible to suppress the band body 40 from interfering with and damaging other members arranged outside the exterior member 20.

[0110] It is not necessary to provide one band fixing portion 33 for one band body 40 as in the above embodiment, but a plurality of band fixing portions 33 may be provided.

[0111] The number of the insertion holes 34 may be appropriately designed according to the wire harness 10 to be sheathed. When a plurality of the insertion holes 34 are provided, the insertion holes 34 may be provided at least along one of the width direction W and the longitudinal direction L, or may be provided randomly.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of locking portions 42 are provided on the band body 41, but there may be only one locking portion 42. Also, the locking portion 42 is configured to have an isosceles trapezoidal shape in a plan view, but is not limited to this shape, and may have various shapes such as an approximately isosceles triangle, approximately right-angled triangle, or approximately right-angled trapezoid in a plan view.

[0113] It should be noted that the above contents can be implemented not only in each aspect, but can be appropriately changed in combination as long as the effect is achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1,1w,1x,1y,1z Wire harness with exterior material 10. Wire Harness 20, 20w, 20x, 20y, 20z Exterior materials 30, 30w, 30x, 30y, 30z exterior body 33 Band fixing part 34 Insertion hole 35 Bending section 40 Band Body 42 Locking part 70 Sheet material W Width direction

Claims

1. an exterior body that is arranged to exteriorly cover at least a portion of the wire harness along a longitudinal direction; a band body extending from the exterior body in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction and wound around the outside of the wire harness, The exterior body and the band body are made of a resin sheet material, The exterior body, a band fixing portion for fixing the band body wound around the outside of the wire harness is provided, The band fixing portion is provided on one side in the intersecting direction, The band body extends in the transverse direction from the inner side of the band fixing portion in the transverse direction. Exterior parts.

2. An insertion hole for inserting the band body is provided on the other side of the band fixing portion in the cross direction. The exterior member according to claim 1 .

3. On the tip side of the band body, A locking portion is provided that protrudes in the width direction of the band-shaped member, The band fixing portion is a locked portion to which the locking portion of the inserted band body is locked. The exterior member according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The locking portion is formed in a tapered shape that gradually narrows from the base end side of the band body toward the tip end side. The exterior member according to claim 3 .

5. The engaging portion is formed in a tapered shape and is arranged in a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction of the band. The exterior member according to claim 4 .

6. The exterior body is provided with an insertion hole through which the band body is inserted. The exterior member according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A plurality of the insertion holes are provided for one of the band bodies. The exterior member according to claim 6.

8. The insertion holes are arranged at different positions from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction. The exterior member according to claim 7.

9. The insertion holes adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction are disposed on different sides in the intersecting direction. The exterior member according to claim 8 .

10. The exterior body is The sheet is folded in the cross direction at a folding portion provided in the middle of the cross direction. The exterior member according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The exterior body and the band body, which are separately constructed, are fixed by welding. The exterior member according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An apparatus comprising an exterior member according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and the wire harness, At least a part of the wire harness is sheathed by the sheath along the longitudinal direction, and the band body is wound around the outside of the wire harness and fixed by the band fixing part. Wire harness with exterior parts.

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