Branch protection structure and wire harness

Abstract

To provide branch portion protection structure capable of protecting a branch portion, with simple structure.SOLUTION: Branch portion protection structure 1 is provided for a wire harness 10 having a branch portion 13 in which a branch line 12 branches from a main line 11 extending in a longitudinal direction L and extends in a cross direction W crossing the longitudinal direction L. The branch portion protection structure 1 comprises: a pair of cylindrical main exterior bodies 20, 20 into which both sides in the longitudinal direction L, of the branch portion 13 of the main line 11 are respectively inserted; and a branch portion exterior body 40 (a first branch portion exterior body 50 and a second branch portion exterior body 60) extrapolated to the branch portion 13 between the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20, the first branch exterior body 50 and the second branch exterior body 60 have a shape similar to a part of the cylindrical cross section of the main exterior bodies 20, 20, and both ends in the longitudinal direction L, of the branch exterior body 40 (the first branch exterior body 50 and the second branch exterior body 60) overlap for a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction L, the end portions of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on both sides in the longitudinal direction L, of the branch portion 13 L.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a branch portion protection structure that protects a branch portion where a branch wire branches off from a trunk wire, and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] The long wire harnesses that electrically connect the electrical devices installed in automobiles are routed in two-dimensional or three-dimensional complex routing paths that combine straight and curved sections to fit the uneven shape of the vehicle.

[0003] The wire harness is sometimes protected by being inserted into an exterior body such as a hollow corrugated tube having flexibility and configured in a long shape, but at a branching portion where a branch wire branches off from a trunk wire of the wire harness, the branch wire interferes with the corrugated tube, making it impossible to exteriorize the corrugated tube.

[0004] In order to protect the branching portion between such a main wire and a branch wire, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a branching structure of a wire harness in which a portion of the end of a corrugated tube is cut out in the circumferential direction to provide an opening and the branch wire extends from the opening.

[0005] In detail, a branch wire is extended from an opening formed by cutting away a portion of the circumference in a predetermined area along the longitudinal direction from the end of the corrugated tube, and another corrugated tube is attached to the end of the corrugated tube, thereby covering the branch portion with the corrugated tube and protecting the branch portion. However, in the branch structure of the wire harness of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to cut off a part of the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the exterior body through which the trunk wire passes, which causes a problem that the structure becomes complicated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-240062 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a branch portion protection structure and a wire harness that can protect a branch portion with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a branch portion protection structure for a wire harness having a branch portion in which a branch wire branches off from a trunk wire extending in a longitudinal direction and extends in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, the structure including a pair of cylindrical exterior bodies that insert both longitudinal sides of the branch portion of the trunk wire into the interior, and a branch portion exterior body that exteriors the branch portion between the pair of exterior bodies, the branch portion exterior body having a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or similar to a part of a cylindrical cross section of the exterior body, and both longitudinal ends of the branch portion exterior body overlap with ends of the exterior bodies arranged on both longitudinal sides of the branch portion by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction. the exterior body on one side in the longitudinal direction from the branching portion has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape smaller than the exterior body on the other side, one end of both ends of the branching portion exterior body is disposed along an outer surface of the end of the exterior body, and the other end of both ends of the branching portion exterior body is disposed along an inner surface of the end of the exterior body. It is characterized by:

[0009] The present invention also provides a wire harness having a trunk wire extending in a longitudinal direction and a branch wire extending in a transverse direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, the wire harness comprising the above-mentioned branch portion protection structure, and characterized in that a branch portion at which the branch wire branches off from the trunk wire is protected by the branch portion protection structure.

[0010] The branching section exterior body may be one or more. The branching portion exterior body may be made of the same material as the exterior body or a different material.

[0011] Furthermore, the branching portion exterior body includes a case where the branching portion exterior body is formed by processing an exterior body having the same or similar cross-sectional shape as the exterior body through which the trunk line is inserted. For example, when the exterior body is a flexible cylindrical body having a circular cross-sectional shape, the branching portion exterior body may be formed by dividing the exterior body having a circular cross-sectional shape into a plurality of pieces along the longitudinal direction.

[0012] According to the present invention, the branch portion can be protected with a simple structure. In more detail, since the cross-sectional shape of the branching portion exterior body is the same as or similar to a portion of the cylindrical cross-section of the exterior body, the branching portion exterior body can be easily arranged so as to overlap the end of the exterior body at a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the branching portion exterior body can be attached to the branching portion arranged between the exterior bodies to protect the branching portion without the need to process the ends of the pair of exterior bodies.

[0013] In addition, the outer casing on one side of the branching portion in the longitudinal direction has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape that is smaller than the outer casing on the other side, and one of the two end portions of the branching portion outer casing is arranged along the outer surface of the end portion of the outer casing, and the other of the two end portions of the branching portion outer casing is arranged along the inner surface of the end portion of the outer casing.

[0014] With this configuration, even if the inside and outside diameters of the exterior body arranged on one side of the branch section in the longitudinal direction are different from those of the exterior body arranged on the other side, the branch section exterior body can be easily arranged on each exterior body. This makes it possible to accommodate various trunk line wiring routes and improves design freedom.

[0015] As an aspect of the present invention, the end of the branching portion exterior body may be disposed along an outer surface of the end of the exterior body. According to this invention, the branching section exterior body can be disposed on the exterior body after the exterior body is attached to the trunk line, so that the branching section exterior body can be more easily disposed along the outer surface of the exterior body while protecting the branching section.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention, the branching portion exterior body may be formed to have a cross section similar to, but larger than, a portion of a cylindrical cross section of the exterior body. According to this invention, the branching portion exterior body, which is formed to have a cross-sectional shape similar to the outer surface of the exterior body, can be easily disposed along the outer surface of the exterior body.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention, an end of the branching portion exterior body may be fixed to the exterior body. According to this invention, the branching portion exterior body can be prevented from coming off the exterior body, so that the branching portion can be protected more reliably.

[0018] As a further aspect of the present invention, the end of the branching portion exterior body may be disposed along an inner surface of the end of the exterior body. According to this invention, the branching section outer casing is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical outer casing so as to fit along the inner surfaces of the pair of outer casings, so that the branching section can be reliably protected with a simple structure and without the branching section outer casing accidentally coming off the outer casing.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention, the branching portion exterior body may be formed to have a similar cross section that is smaller than a portion of a cylindrical cross section of the exterior body. According to this invention, the branching portion exterior body, which is formed to have a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the inner surface of the exterior body, can be easily positioned along the inner surface of the exterior body. Also, since the branching portion exterior body can be easily inserted into the exterior body, the work efficiency of the installation work can be improved.

[0020] As another aspect of the present invention, the branching portion outer casing may be formed with a similar cross-section that is larger than a portion of the cylindrical cross-section of the outer casing on one side and smaller than a portion of the cylindrical cross-section of the outer casing on the other side.

[0021] According to this invention, one side of the branching portion exterior body can be easily arranged along the outer surface of the exterior body on one side in the longitudinal direction, and the other side of the branching portion exterior body can be easily arranged along the inner surface of the exterior body on the other side in the longitudinal direction. This makes it easy to arrange the branching portion exterior body so that it overlaps with the pair of exterior bodies in the longitudinal direction.

[0022] As a further aspect of the present invention, the exterior body may have a circular cross section, and the branching portion exterior body may have an arc-shaped cross section. According to this invention, by arranging the open portion of the branch section outer casing having an arc-shaped cross section in the intersecting direction in which the branch lines extend, the branch section sandwiched between a pair of outer casings having circular cross sections can be protected by the branch section outer casing having an arc-shaped cross section.

[0023] In addition, by making the cross-sectional shape of the branching section exterior body arc-shaped for an exterior body with a circular cross section, the arc-shaped branching section exterior body can be arranged in a desired circumferential direction in the cross section. Therefore, the open portion of the branching section exterior body can be appropriately arranged to correspond to the crossing direction in which the branch wires extend. Therefore, there is no need to prepare various branching section exterior bodies, and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the branching portion exterior bodies may be provided in a circumferential direction of the trunk line, and adjacent branching portion exterior bodies in a cross-sectional direction may partially overlap each other in the circumferential direction. According to this invention, it is possible to eliminate gaps between the branching portion exterior bodies by overlapping portions of the multiple branching portion exterior bodies, so that the branching portion can be reliably protected by using multiple branching portion exterior bodies.

[0025] In addition, by overlapping a plurality of branching portion exterior bodies, the size of the gap between adjacent branching portion exterior bodies can be adjusted, so that the size of the gap between adjacent branching portion exterior bodies can be adjusted to match the outer diameter of the branch wire.

[0026] Furthermore, the branch section can be reliably protected while providing an opening for inserting the branch wire without preparing branch section exterior bodies with different arc lengths. In other words, the branch section can be protected only with branch section exterior bodies with the same arc length, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, the branching section may be provided with a plurality of branch wires extending in different directions in the cross-sectional direction, and a plurality of branching section outer casings may be provided and positioned between the plurality of branch wires extending in different directions in the cross-sectional direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide protection between a plurality of branch lines extending in different directions at a branching portion.

[0028] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the branching portion exterior bodies may be provided in the longitudinal direction, and adjacent branching portion exterior bodies in the longitudinal direction may partially overlap each other in the longitudinal direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to protect a branch portion where branch wires extend in different intersecting directions.

[0029] In detail, multiple branch section outer casings are arranged at desired circumferential positions in the cross section so that the open portions of the arcs each intersect in the direction in which the branch lines extend, and the branch lines are pulled out from the open portions while the main line is inserted into the branch section outer casings, so that the branch lines can each be extended from the open portions while the branch sections are protected by the overlapping branch section outer casings.

[0030] As a further aspect of the present invention, the branching portion exterior body may have an arc-shaped cross section whose arc length gradually changes along the longitudinal direction. The above-mentioned "the arc length of the cross section of the arc-shaped cross section gradually changes along the longitudinal direction" includes a case where the arc length of the cross section of the arc-shaped cross section becomes longer or shorter along the longitudinal direction, and also includes a case where the arc length of the cross section of the arc-shaped cross section gradually becomes shorter or longer from a position corresponding to the branch portion toward each of the exterior bodies.

[0031] The invention allows for a variety of branching protection. For example, in the case where a branch wire extends in a cross direction near the center of a pair of outer casings, by using a branch section outer casing in which the arc length of the cross-sectional arc gradually shortens along the longitudinal direction, it is possible to reliably open the direction in which the branch wire extends while better protecting the outer periphery of the main wire around the ends of the pair of outer casings.

[0032] Furthermore, when branch wires extend in intersecting directions near each end of a pair of outer casings, by using a branch section outer casing in which the arc length of the cross-sectional arc gradually shortens toward the outer casing, it is possible to protect the outer periphery of the trunk wire between the branch wires while opening up the direction in which the branch wires extend around the ends of the pair of outer casings.

[0033] In this way, it is possible to open the direction in which the branch wires extend while protecting the trunk wire in accordance with various branch sections where the branch wires extend from the trunk wire, thereby preventing the branch wires from interfering with the branch section exterior body and being damaged while protecting the trunk wire. Effect of the Invention

[0034] The present invention can provide a branch portion protection structure and a wire harness that can protect a branch portion with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are plan and side views of the branch portion protection structure. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of another method of using the branch portion protective structure. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a bifurcation portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a bifurcation portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are a side view and a cross-sectional view of a bifurcation portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a branch portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a branch portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 12]FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a bifurcation portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] 13A and 13B are a side view and a cross-sectional view of a bifurcation portion protection structure according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] The present invention relates to a branch portion protection structure for protecting a branch portion in a wire harness having a branch portion where a branch wire is branched off from a trunk wire. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs.

[0037] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the branching section protective structure 1, Fig. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the branching section protective structure 1, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view explaining a manufacturing method of the first branching section exterior body 50. Fig. 4 shows a plan view and a side view of the branching section protective structure 1, Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the branching section protective structure 1, and Fig. 6 shows an explanatory view of another method of using the branching section protective structure 1.

[0038] 3 to 6 will be described in detail. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic perspective view of an exterior body 50A before the first branching portion exterior body 50 is manufactured, and Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the first branching portion exterior body 50 formed by dividing the exterior body 50A into two.

[0039] Fig. 4(a) shows a plan view of the branch section protection structure 1, and Fig. 4(b) shows a side view of the branch section protection structure 1 seen from the extending direction of the branch line 12. Fig. 5(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4(a), and Fig. 5(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 4(b).

[0040] Figure 6(a) shows a schematic oblique view of a branch section protection structure 1 that protects a branch section 13 where branch wires 12 extend in two directions, and Figure 6(b) shows a side view of the branch section protection structure 1 viewed from the extension direction of the branch wires 12 extending toward the crossing direction W.

[0041] In order to make the overall structure easier to understand, except for some parts of Figures 1 to 13, the raised portions (convex shapes) and groove portions (concave shapes) of the corrugated tube, which has a repeated uneven shape made up of raised portions and groove portions, are not shown, and the corrugated tube is illustrated as a cylinder.

[0042] For convenience, the longitudinal direction of the trunk line 11 in Fig. 1 is referred to as the longitudinal direction L, and the direction in which the branch lines 12 extend relative to the trunk line 11 is referred to as the intersecting direction W. The longitudinal direction L and the intersecting direction W are also assumed to be perpendicular to each other, and the upper and lower sides in Fig. 1 are referred to as the upper and lower sides. Furthermore, in Fig. 1, the right side along the longitudinal direction L is referred to as the tip side Lf, and the left side along the longitudinal direction L is referred to as the base side Lb. These directions are the same in FIGS.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1, the branch section protective structure 1 is a structure for protecting a branch section 13 where a main line 11 and a branch line 12 branch off in a wire harness 10 arranged in a vehicle, and is composed of the wire harness 10, a pair of cylindrical main exterior bodies 20, 20 that insert into the interior of both sides of the longitudinal direction L of the branch section 13 in the main line 11, a sub-exterior body 30 that inserts into the interior to protect the branch line 12 branched off from the main line 11, and a branch section exterior body 40 that exteriorly covers the branch section 13 between the main exterior bodies 20, 20.

[0044] The main line 11 constituting the wire harness 10 is a bundle of insulated electric wires in which conductors are covered with an insulating coating, and is connected to, for example, a battery. The branch wire 12 is a covered electric wire drawn from the trunk line 11 in the cross direction W, and is connected to, for example, electronic devices mounted on a vehicle. The branched portion at which the branch wire 12 is drawn from the trunk line 11 is referred to as a branch section 13.

[0045] The main exterior bodies 20, 20 are cylindrically formed corrugated tubes made of resin, through which the trunk line 11 can be inserted, and are provided on both ends of the branching section 13 in the longitudinal direction L. The main exterior body 20 has a bellows structure in which main raised portions 21 and main groove portions 22 are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 5(b)). The main exterior body 20 thus formed with a bellows structure has flexibility.

[0046] The sub-exterior body 30 is a cylindrical corrugated tube made of resin, into which the branch wires 12 extending in the cross direction W can be inserted. The sub-exterior body 30 has the same configuration as the main exterior body 20, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] 1 and 2, the branching portion exterior body 40 protects the branching portion 13. This branching portion exterior body 40 is composed of a first branching portion exterior body 50 and a second branching portion exterior body 60 that are arranged so as to connect the main exterior bodies 20, 20 that are arranged on either side of the branching portion 13.

[0048] The first branch portion outer casing 50 is a semi-cylindrical corrugated tube made of resin, and has a bellows structure in which first branch ridge portions 51 and first branch groove portions 52 are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 5(b)).

[0049] This first branch exterior body 50 has a shape similar to a portion of the cross-sectional shape of the main exterior body 20, and is configured so that its inner diameter is equal to the outer diameter of the main exterior body 20. In addition, the pitch of the first branch ridge 51 and the first branch groove 52 corresponds to the pitch of the main ridge 21 and the main groove 22, and the length along the longitudinal direction L is longer than the distance between the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on either side of the branch 13.

[0050] 3, the first branching portion exterior body 50 is manufactured by dividing exterior body 50A, which is a cylindrically shaped corrugated tube made of resin, into two along the longitudinal direction L. That is, two first branching portion exterior bodies 50 having the same shape are manufactured from exterior body 50A.

[0051] The second branch section outer casing 60, like the first branch section outer casing 50, is a semi-cylindrical corrugated tube made of resin and has a bellows structure in which second branch ridges 61 and second branch grooves 62 are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 5(b)).

[0052] The second branch portion exterior body 60 has a shape similar to a portion of the cross-sectional shape of the main exterior body 20, and is configured so that its inner diameter is equal to the outer diameter of the first branch portion exterior body 50. In addition, the pitch of the second branch ridge 61 and the second branch groove 62 corresponds to the pitch of the first branch ridge 51 and the first branch groove 52, and the length along the longitudinal direction L is configured to be longer than the distance between the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on either side of the branch portion 13, just like the first branch portion exterior body 50. Similarly to the first branching portion exterior body 50, the second branching portion exterior body 60 is manufactured by dividing a cylindrical corrugated tube made of resin into two (not shown).

[0053] The first branching section outer casing 50 and the second branching section outer casing 60 configured in this manner protect the branching section 13 by covering at least the direction opposite to the extension direction of the branch wire 12 at the branching section 13, as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5.

[0054] 2 and 5(a), in front view, the first branching portion exterior body 50 is disposed so as to follow the outer circumferential surface of the main exterior body 20 in a state rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise. Here, since the length in the longitudinal direction L of the first branching portion exterior body 50 is configured to be longer than the distance between the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20, both ends of the first branching portion exterior body 50 in the longitudinal direction L overlap with the ends of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 disposed on both sides of the branching portion 13 in the longitudinal direction L by a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction L.

[0055] 5(b), the first branch exterior body 50 is arranged so as to overlap with the end of the main exterior bodies 20, 20, and the first branch ridge 51 is fitted into the main groove 22, and the first branch groove 52 is fitted into the main ridge 21. This makes it possible to suppress movement of the first branch exterior body 50 in the longitudinal direction L relative to the main exterior body 20. The first branch portion exterior body 50 is fixed to the main exterior body 20 using tape B1 (see FIG. 1).

[0056] Similarly, in a front view, the second branch portion exterior body 60 is disposed so as to follow the outer circumferential surface of the main exterior body 20 in a state rotated 45 degrees clockwise. That is, the second branch portion exterior body 60 partially overlaps in the circumferential direction with the first branch portion exterior body 50 adjacent in the cross-sectional direction on the side opposite to the direction in which the branch wire 12 in the branch portion 13 extends.

[0057] The second branch portion exterior body 60 is configured so that the inner diameter thereof is equal to the outer diameter of the first branch portion exterior body 50, and the length in the longitudinal direction L of the second branch portion exterior body 60 is longer than the distance between the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20. For this reason, the second branch portion exterior body 60 partially overlaps with the first branch portion exterior body 50 in the circumferential direction along the longitudinal direction L, and both ends of the second branch portion exterior body 60 in the longitudinal direction L overlap with the ends of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on both sides of the longitudinal direction L of the branch portion 13 by a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction L.

[0058] 5(b), the second branch portion exterior body 60 overlapping with the first branch portion exterior body 50 in the circumferential direction has the second branch ridge 61 fitted into the first branch groove 52, and the second branch groove 62 fitted into the second branch ridge 61. This makes it possible to suppress movement of the second branch portion exterior body 60 in the longitudinal direction L relative to the first branch portion exterior body 50. The second branch portion exterior body 60 is fixed to the main exterior body 20 using tape B2 (see FIG. 1).

[0059] In this manner, the first branch section exterior body 50 is disposed so as to cover the upper side of the branch section 13, and the second branch section exterior body 60 is disposed so as to cover the lower side of the branch section 13. This allows the branch section exterior body 40 to cover at least the direction opposite to the direction in which the branch wire 12 extends in the branch section 13, and allows the branch wire 12 to extend from the opening formed by the open parts of the first branch section exterior body 50 and the second branch section exterior body 60 while preventing the opening from becoming excessively wide (see Figs. 4(b) and 5(a)).

[0060] Furthermore, since the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60 can be arranged on the outer surface of the main exterior body 20, the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60 can be easily attached to the main exterior body 20 after the wire harness 10 is arranged.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), when multiple branch lines 12 branch off from a trunk line 11 along the longitudinal direction L, the first branch section exterior body 50 and the second branch section exterior body 60 can be arranged along only one of the main exterior bodies 20, 20, respectively, to protect the branch section 13 where the multiple branch lines 12 branch off.

[0062] A brief explanation is given below. Here, as shown in FIG. 6(a), of the two branch lines 12 branching off along the cross direction W, the branch line 12 on the tip side Lf is referred to as the first branch line 121, and the branch line 12 on the base side Lb is referred to as the second branch line 122.

[0063] In this case, the first branch section outer casing 50 is arranged so that its open portion faces in the direction in which the first branch line 121 extends and is aligned along the outer surface of the main outer casing 20 at the tip side Lf, and the second branch section outer casing 60 is arranged so that its open portion faces downward, which is the direction in which the second branch line 122 extends, and is aligned along the outer surface of the main outer casing 20 at the base side Lb and the outer surface of the base side Lb of the first branch section outer casing 50.

[0064] As a result, at least the direction opposite to the extending direction of the first branch wire 121 and the second branch wire 122 in the branch portion 13 can be protected by the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60. Also, one side in the width direction of the tip side Lf of the branch portion 13 can be protected by the first branch portion exterior body 50, and the upper side of the base end side Lb of the branch portion 13 can be protected by the second branch portion exterior body 60.

[0065] The branch portion protective structure 1 configured in this manner is provided with a wire harness 10 having a branch portion 13 extending in a cross direction W in which a branch wire 12 branches off from a trunk line 11 extending in a longitudinal direction L and crosses the longitudinal direction L, and is provided with a pair of cylindrical main exterior bodies 20, 20 that respectively insert both sides of the branch portion 13 in the longitudinal direction L into the interior of the trunk line 11, and a branch portion exterior body 40 (a first branch portion exterior body 50 and a second branch portion exterior body 60) that exteriorly covers the branch portion 13 between the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20. The first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60 have a shape similar to a portion of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 in a cylindrical cross section. In addition, both ends of the branching section outer casing 40 (the first branching section outer casing 50 and the second branching section outer casing 60) in the longitudinal direction L overlap with the ends of the main outer casings 20, 20 arranged on both sides of the branching section 13 in the longitudinal direction L by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction L.

[0066] For this reason, the branch portion exterior body 40 (the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60) can be easily arranged so as to overlap the ends of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 at a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction L. This makes it possible to attach the branch portion exterior body 40 (the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60) to the branch portion 13 arranged between the main exterior bodies 20, 20 and protect the branch portion 13 without the need to process the ends of the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20.

[0067] Furthermore, because the ends of the branching section exterior body 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60) are arranged along the outer surfaces of the ends of the main exterior bodies 20,20, the branching section exterior body 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60) can be arranged on the main exterior bodies 20,20 after the main exterior bodies 20,20 have been attached to the trunk line 11. Therefore, the branching section 13 can be protected while the branching section exterior body 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60) is more easily arranged along the outer surfaces of the main exterior bodies 20,20.

[0068] Furthermore, the branching section outer casing 40 (first branching section outer casing 50 and second branching section outer casing 60) is formed with a cross-section that is similar but larger than a portion of the cylindrical cross-section of the main outer casing 20,20. As a result, the branching section outer casing 40 (first branching section outer casing 50 and second branching section outer casing 60), which is formed with a cross-sectional shape similar to the outer surface of the main outer casing 20,20, can be easily positioned along the outer surface of the main outer casing 20,20.

[0069] Furthermore, since the ends of the branching section outer casing 40 (the first branching section outer casing 50 and the second branching section outer casing 60) are fixed to the main outer casings 20, 20, the branching section outer casing 40 (the first branching section outer casing 50 and the second branching section outer casing 60) can be prevented from detaching from the main outer casings 20, 20, thereby more reliably protecting the branching section 13.

[0070] Furthermore, since the main exterior bodies 20, 20 have a circular cross-section and the branch section exterior body 40 (first branch section exterior body 50 and second branch section exterior body 60) has an arc-shaped cross-section, by arranging the open portion of the branch section exterior body 40 (first branch section exterior body 50 and second branch section exterior body 60) with an arc-shaped cross-section in the intersecting direction W in which the branch line 12 extends, the branch section 13 sandwiched between the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20 with circular cross-sections can be protected by the branch section exterior body 40 (first branch section exterior body 50 and second branch section exterior body 60) with an arc-shaped cross-section.

[0071] Furthermore, by making the cross-sectional shape of the branching section exterior body 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60) arc-shaped relative to the main exterior body 20, 20 having a circular cross-section, it is possible to arrange the arc-shaped branching section exterior body 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60) in a desired circumferential direction in the cross section. Therefore, the open portion of the branching section exterior body 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60) can be appropriately arranged so as to correspond to the intersecting direction W in which the branch line 12 extends. Therefore, there is no need to prepare various branching section exterior bodies 40 (the first branching section exterior body 50 and the second branching section exterior body 60), and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0072] Furthermore, since the first branch section outer casings 50 and the second branch section outer casings 60 are provided in multiple numbers in the circumferential direction of the trunk line 11, and adjacent first branch section outer casings 50 and second branch section outer casings 60 in the cross-sectional direction partially overlap each other in the circumferential direction, gaps between the first branch section outer casings 50 and the second branch section outer casings 60 can be eliminated, thereby ensuring protection of the branch section 13.

[0073] Furthermore, by overlapping the first branching portion exterior body 50 and the second branching portion exterior body 60, it is possible to adjust the size of the gap between the adjacent first branching portion exterior body 50 and the second branching portion exterior body 60. This makes it possible to adjust the size of the gap between the adjacent first branching portion exterior body 50 and the second branching portion exterior body 60 to match the outer diameter of the branch wire 12.

[0074] Furthermore, the branch portion 13 can be reliably protected while providing an opening for inserting the branch wire 12, without preparing the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60 with different arc lengths. In other words, the branch portion 13 can be protected by only the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60 with the same arc length, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0075] Furthermore, the first branch section outer casing 50 and the second branch section outer casing 60 arranged along the longitudinal direction L partially overlap in the longitudinal direction L with the first branch section outer casing 50 and the second branch section outer casing 60 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction L, thereby protecting the branch sections 13 in which the branch wires 12 extend in different directions.

[0076] In detail, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first branch section outer casing 50 and the second branch section outer casing 60 are arranged at desired circumferential positions in the cross section so that the open portions of the arcs are in the direction in which the branch wires 12 extend, and the trunk wire 11 is inserted through the first branch section outer casing 50 and the second branch section outer casing 60 while the branch wire 12 is pulled out from the open portions, so that the trunk wire 11 is protected by the overlapping first branch section outer casing 50 and second branch section outer casing 60 while the branch wire 12 can be extended from the open portions of the first branch section outer casing 50 and the second branch section outer casing 60.

[0077] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment, The longitudinal direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction L, The trunk line corresponds to trunk line 11, The branch line corresponds to branch line 12, The cross direction corresponds to the cross direction W, The branch corresponds to branch 13, The wire harness is compatible with Wire Harness 10. The branch protection structure corresponds to the branch protection structure 1, The exterior body corresponds to the main exterior body 20, The branching portion exterior body corresponds to the branching portion exterior body 40 (the first branching portion exterior body 50 and the second branching portion exterior body 60), The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0078] In the other embodiments described below, the same configurations as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the contents described in each embodiment in this specification are not limited to each embodiment, and the combinations can be appropriately changed as long as the effects are achieved.

[0079] For example, in this embodiment, the first branch section outer casing 50 and the second branch section outer casing 60 are configured as semi-cylinders and are arranged along the outer surface of the main outer casing 20, but they do not necessarily have to be semi-cylinders, and they do not necessarily have to be arranged along the outer surface of the main outer casing 20.

[0080] Specifically, as shown in a branching portion protective structure 1w shown in Fig. 7, a branching portion exterior body 40w constituted by a pair of third branching portion exterior bodies 50w, 50w each formed into a quarter cylinder may be fitted along the inner surface of the main exterior body 20. Hereinafter, the branching portion protective structure 1w will be briefly described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9.

[0081] Here, Fig. 7 shows a schematic perspective view of the branching section protective structure 1w, Fig. 8 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the branching section protective structure 1w, and Fig. 9 shows a side view and a cross-sectional view of the branching section protective structure 1w. Fig. 9(a) shows a side view of the branching section protective structure 1w, and Fig. 9(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 9(a).

[0082] As shown in Figure 7, the branch portion protection structure 1w is composed of a wire harness 10 in which branch wires 12, 12 extend in two directions relative to a trunk line 11, a pair of cylindrical main exterior bodies 20, 20 that insert into the interior of both sides of a branch portion 13 in the longitudinal direction L of the trunk line 11, sub-exterior bodies 30, 30 that protect the branch wires 12, 12 branched off from the trunk line 11 and insert into their interiors, and a branch portion exterior body 40w (a pair of third branch portion exterior bodies 50w, 50w) that exteriorly covers the branch portion 13 between the main exterior bodies 20, 20.

[0083] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the third branch portion outer casing 50w is a corrugated tube made of resin and configured in a quarter-cylinder shape, and similar to the first branch portion outer casing 50, it is configured with a bellows structure in which first branch ridge portions 51 and first branch groove portions 52 are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction L.

[0084] This third branch exterior body 50w has a shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the main exterior body 20, and is configured so that its outer diameter is equal to the inner diameter of the main exterior body 20. In addition, the pitch of the first branch ridge 51 and the first branch groove 52 corresponds to the pitch of the main ridge 21 and the main groove 22, and the length along the longitudinal direction L is longer than the distance between the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on either side of the branch 13.

[0085] The third branching portion exterior body 50w is manufactured by dividing the exterior body 50A, which is a cylindrically shaped corrugated tube made of resin, into four along the longitudinal direction L. That is, four third branching portion exterior bodies 50w of the same shape are manufactured from the exterior body 50A (not shown).

[0086] The branch section outer casing 40w thus constructed with a pair of third branch section outer casings 50w, 50w can protect the upper and lower parts of the branch section 13 where the branch line 12 is branched in two directions from the trunk line 11, as shown in Figures 7 to 9.

[0087] 9(a) and 9(b), the third branch portion exterior body 50w is disposed above and below the main exterior body 20 so as to follow the inner circumferential surface of the main exterior body 20. Here, the length in the longitudinal direction L of the third branch portion exterior body 50w is configured to be longer than the distance between the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20, and therefore both ends in the longitudinal direction L of the third branch portion exterior body 50w overlap with the ends of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 disposed on both sides of the longitudinal direction L of the branch portion 13 by a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction L.

[0088] Furthermore, the third branch portion exterior bodies 50w, 50w arranged so as to overlap at the end of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 have the first branch raised portion 51 fitted into the main groove portion 22 and the first branch groove portion 52 fitted into the main raised portion 21. This makes it possible to suppress movement of the third branch portion exterior bodies 50w, 50w in the longitudinal direction L relative to the main exterior bodies 20, 20.

[0089] In this manner, the end of the branch portion exterior body 40w (the third branch portion exterior body 50w, 50w) is disposed along the inner surface of the end of the main exterior body 20, 20. As a result, the third branch portion exterior body 50w, 50w is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical main exterior body 20, 20 so as to fit along the inner surfaces of the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20, so that the branch portion 13 can be protected with a simple structure without the third branch portion exterior body 50w, 50w accidentally coming off the main exterior body 20, 20.

[0090] Furthermore, the third branch portion exterior body 50w is formed with a cross section similar to that of a portion of the cylindrical cross section of the main exterior body 20, 20. This allows the third branch portion exterior body 50w, which is formed with a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the inner surface of the main exterior body 20, 20, to be easily arranged along the inner surface of the main exterior body 20, 20. Furthermore, since the third branch portion exterior body 50w can be easily inserted into the main exterior body 20, 20, the work efficiency of the installation work can be improved.

[0091] Furthermore, the branch section 13 is provided with a plurality of branch wires 12 extending in different directions in the cross-sectional direction, and a plurality of third branch section exterior bodies 50w are provided and disposed between the plurality of branch wires 12 extending in different directions in the cross-sectional direction. This makes it possible to protect the spaces between the plurality of branch wires 12 extending in different directions in the branch section 13.

[0092] In addition, in the first embodiment, the branching portion 13 is protected by the branching portion exterior body 40 composed of the first branching portion exterior body 50 and the second branching portion exterior body 60 each formed as a semicylinder, but the branching portion 13 may be protected by, for example, only the first branching portion exterior body 50. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 10, the branching portion 13 may be protected by a branching portion exterior body 40x having an arc-shaped cross section whose arc length gradually changes along the longitudinal direction L. Here, FIG. 10(a) shows a schematic perspective view of a branching portion protective structure 1x in which a branching portion 13 is protected by a branching portion exterior body 40x, and FIG. 10(b) shows a plan view of the branching portion protective structure 1x.

[0093] More specifically, the branching portion exterior body 40x is a corrugated resin tube configured to have an arc-shaped cross section, with the arc length at both ends being three-quarters the circumferential length of a circle having the same radius, and the arc length of the arc-shaped cross section gradually shortens from both ends toward the branching portion 13 along the longitudinal direction L. The arc length at the center of the branching portion exterior body 40x is half the circumferential length of the circle.

[0094] The branch section exterior body 40x configured in this manner has an open portion facing the direction in which the branch wire 12 extends, and is disposed so that both ends are along the outer surfaces of the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20. This makes it possible to more reliably protect the trunk wire 11 at the end portion of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 while protecting the branch section 13 where the branch wire 12 branches off.

[0095] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, a branch section outer casing 40y composed of a fourth branch section outer casing 50y and a fifth branch section outer casing 60y, whose cross-sectional arc length increases along the longitudinal direction L, may be used to protect a branch section 13 in which branch wires 12 lined up along the longitudinal direction L extend toward both sides in the cross direction W. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a branching portion protective structure 1y in which the branching portion 13 is protected by a branching portion exterior body 40y.

[0096] More specifically, the fourth branch portion exterior body 50y constituting the branch portion exterior body 40y is configured so that the arc length on one side in the longitudinal direction L (tip side Lf) is half the circumferential length of a circle formed with the same radius as the outer diameter of the main exterior body 20, and the arc length of the cross-sectional arc shape gradually increases as it approaches the base side Lb from the tip side Lf along the longitudinal direction L. The arc length of the end of the base side Lb in the fourth branch portion exterior body 50y is three-quarters the circumferential length of a circle formed with the same radius, and has an inner diameter the same as the outer diameter of the main exterior body 20.

[0097] The fifth branch portion exterior body 60y constituting the branch portion exterior body 40y has an arc length on the other side in the longitudinal direction L (base end side Lb) that is half the circumferential length of a circle having the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of the first branch portion exterior body 50, and is configured so that the arc length of the cross-sectional arc shape gradually increases as it approaches the tip side Lf from the base end side Lb along the longitudinal direction L. The arc length of the end of the base end side Lb in the fifth branch portion exterior body 60y is three-quarters the circumferential length of a circle having the same radius.

[0098] The fourth branch portion exterior body 50y configured in this manner is disposed so that the open portion faces the extension direction of the branch line 12 branching off at the tip side Lf and partially overlaps with the outer surface of the main exterior body 20. Similarly to the fourth branch portion exterior body 50y, the fifth branch portion exterior body 60y is disposed so that the open portion faces the extension direction of the branch line 12 branching off at the base end side Lb and the base end side Lb partially overlaps with the outer surface of the fourth branch portion exterior body 50y and the tip side Lf partially overlaps with the outer surface of the main exterior body 20. This makes it possible to protect the branch portion 13 while allowing the branch line 12 to extend from the open portions of the fourth branch portion exterior body 50y and the fifth branch portion exterior body 60y.

[0099] As in the branch portion exterior bodies 40x and 40y, the arc length of the arc-shaped cross section gradually changes along the longitudinal direction L, so that the various branch portions 13 can be protected. That is, as shown in Figure 10, when the branch wire 12 extends in the intersecting direction W near the center of a pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20, by using a branch section exterior body 40x in which the arc length of the cross-sectional arc shape gradually shortens along the longitudinal direction L as it approaches the branch section 13, it is possible to reliably open the direction in which the branch wire 12 extends while better protecting the outer periphery of the trunk wire 11 around the ends of the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20.

[0100] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , when the branch wires 12 extend in multiple directions along the intersecting direction W near each end of a pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20, by combining a fourth branch section exterior body 50y and a fifth branch section exterior body 60y, whose arc length of the cross-sectional arc gradually shortens toward the main exterior bodies 20, 20, it is possible to protect the outer periphery of the trunk wire 11 between the branch wires 12 while reliably opening up the direction in which the branch wires 12 extend around the ends of the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20.

[0101] In this way, in response to various cases in which the branch lines 12 extend from the trunk line 11, the trunk line 11 can be protected while opening the direction in which the branch lines 12 extend. This makes it possible to protect the trunk line 11 while preventing the branch lines 12 from interfering with and being damaged by the branching section exterior body 40x or the branching section exterior body 40y.

[0102] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, by using a branching portion outer casing 40z instead of a branching portion outer casing 40x, it is possible to protect the branching portion 13 between the main outer casing 20 and the main outer casing 20z, which have different inner diameters.

[0103] Here, Fig. 12 shows a schematic perspective view of a branch portion protection structure 1z that uses a main exterior body 20z to protect the branch portion 13. Fig. 13(a) shows a side view of the branch portion protection structure 1z seen from the extending direction of the branch line 12, and Fig. 13(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow DD in Fig. 13(a).

[0104] In detail, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, a pair of main outer casings 20, 20z, through which the trunk line 11 is inserted on both sides of the longitudinal direction L of the branching portion 13 on both sides of the longitudinal direction of the branching portion, has a main outer casing 20z arranged on the tip side Lf, which has a reduced diameter compared to the main outer casing 20.

[0105] The branch portion exterior body 40z that is disposed between the main exterior bodies 20 and 20z and that is arranged to exteriorly cover the branch portion 13 has the same basic structure as the first branch portion exterior body 50. This branch portion exterior body 40z is a cylindrical body with an arc-shaped cross section formed by cutting out a portion of a circle whose inner diameter is equal to the outer diameter of the main exterior body 20 along the longitudinal direction L.

[0106] The branch section outer casing 40z configured in this manner is positioned between the main outer casings 20, 20z, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), so that the base end side Lb is positioned along the inner surface of the main outer casing 20 and the tip side Lf is positioned along the outer surface of the main outer casing 20z.

[0107] In addition, the main outer casing 20,20 on one side of the branching portion 13 in the longitudinal direction L has a smaller cylindrical cross-sectional shape than the main outer casing 20,20 on the other side, and one of the two end portions of the branching portion outer casing 40z is arranged along the outer surface of the end portion of the main outer casing 20,20, and the other of the two end portions of the branching portion outer casing 40z is arranged along the inner surface of the end portion of the main outer casing 20,20.

[0108] As a result, even if the inner diameter and outer diameter of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on one side of the longitudinal direction L of the branching section 13 differ from that of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 arranged on the other side, the branching section exterior body 40z can be easily arranged for each of the main exterior bodies 20, 20. As a result, it is possible to accommodate various wiring routes of the trunk line 11, improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0109] In addition, the branch portion exterior body 40z is formed with a cross section similar to that of a portion of the cylindrical cross section of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 on one side, but smaller than that of a portion of the cylindrical cross section of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 on the other side.

[0110] Therefore, one side of the branching portion exterior body 40z can be easily arranged along the outer surface of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 on one side in the longitudinal direction L, and the other side of the branching portion exterior body 40z can be easily arranged along the outer surface of the main exterior bodies 20, 20 on the other side in the longitudinal direction L. This makes it possible to easily arrange the branching portion exterior body 40z so as to overlap with the pair of main exterior bodies 20, 20 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0111] In addition, in this embodiment, the main exterior body 20, 20, the first branching portion exterior body 50, and the second branching portion exterior body 60 are made of corrugated tubes made of resin, but they may be made of other materials, such as flexible resin tubes.

[0112] Furthermore, although the main exterior bodies 20, 20 have a circular cross section, the main exterior bodies 20, 20 may have a polygonal cross section. Furthermore, the first branch portion exterior body 50 and the second branch portion exterior body 60 have a shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the main exterior body 20, 20, but may have a shape that matches a part of the cross-sectional shape of the main exterior body 20, 20. In this case, for example, the first branch portion exterior body 50 is fitted into the main exterior body 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1,1w,1x,1y,1z Branch protection structure 10. Wire Harness 11 Main line 12 Branch Line 13 Branch 20,20z main exterior body 40, 40w, 40x, 40y, 40z Branching section exterior body 50 First branch section exterior body 50w 3rd branch exterior body 50y 4th branch exterior body 60 Second branch section exterior body 60y 5th branch exterior body L Longitudinal W Cross direction

Claims

1. A branch portion protection structure for a wire harness having a branch portion in which a branch wire branches off from a trunk wire extending in a longitudinal direction and extends in a cross direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, A pair of cylindrical exterior bodies that are inserted into both sides of the branch portion of the trunk line in the longitudinal direction, respectively; a branch portion exterior body that exteriorly covers the branch portion between the pair of exterior bodies, the branching portion exterior body has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or similar to a portion of a cylindrical cross section of the exterior body, Both ends of the branching portion exterior body in the longitudinal direction overlap with ends of the exterior body arranged on both sides of the branching portion in the longitudinal direction by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction, The exterior body on one side of the branch portion in the longitudinal direction has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape smaller than the exterior body on the other side, One end of both ends of the branching portion exterior body is disposed along an outer surface of the end of the exterior body, The other end of the branching exterior body is disposed along the inner surface of the end of the exterior body. Branch section protective structure.

2. The branching portion exterior body is formed with a similar cross section larger than a part of the cylindrical cross section of the exterior body on one side and a similar cross section smaller than a part of the cylindrical cross section of the exterior body on the other side. The branch portion protection structure according to claim 1 .

3. The exterior body has a circular cross section, The branching section exterior body has an arc-shaped cross section. The branch portion protection structure according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The branching portion exterior body is provided in a plurality of parts in a circumferential direction of the trunk line, The branch portion exterior bodies adjacent to each other in the cross-sectional direction partially overlap each other in the circumferential direction. The branch portion protection structure according to claim 3 .

5. A plurality of branch lines extending in different directions in a cross-sectional direction are provided at the branch portion, The branch portion exterior body is provided in plurality and is disposed between a plurality of branch wires extending in different directions in the cross-sectional direction. The branch portion protection structure according to claim 3 .

6. The branch portion exterior body is provided in a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction, The branch portion exterior bodies adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction partially overlap each other in the longitudinal direction. The branch portion protection structure according to claim 3 .

7. The branching portion exterior body is The arc length of the cross section of the arc gradually changes along the longitudinal direction 7. The branch portion protection structure according to claim 3.

8. A trunk line extending in a longitudinal direction; A wire harness having a branch wire extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, A branch portion protection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A branching portion where the branch line branches off from the trunk line is protected by the branching portion protection structure. Wire harness.

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