Elastic cover and wire harness

Abstract

To provide an elastic cover which is smoothly bendable and a wiring harness equipped with this elastic cover.SOLUTION: A wiring harness 11 is constituted by comprising an elastic cover 12, an electric wire 13 inserted through this elastic cover 12, and a connector 14. The elastic cover 12 is composed of a first cylindrical part 16 and a second cylindrical part 17 which are made of rubber or elastomer, and are formed continuously. The first cylindrical part 16 and the second cylindrical part 17 are formed such that a first axis CL1 of the first cylindrical part 16 intersects a second axis CL2 of the second cylindrical part 17. In a continuous portion 27 of the first cylindrical part 16 and the second cylindrical part 17 is formed a bending assist part 28 to make the second cylindrical part 17 easily bendable to the first cylindrical part 16 so as to change a cross angle of the first axis CL1 and the second axis CL2. The bending assist part 28 is formed to a shape having a recessed thin-wall part 29. Furthermore, it is also formed to a shape having a push-down rib 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an elastic cover made of rubber or elastomer, and a wire harness including the elastic cover. [Background technology]

[0002] In Fig. 5, the wire harness 1 includes electric wires 2, a connector 3 provided at an end of the electric wires 2, and a rubber cover 4 covering the connector 3. The rubber cover 4 has a first tubular portion 5 and a second tubular portion 6, and is formed such that a first axis (central axis) of the first tubular portion 5 intersects with a second axis (central axis) of the second tubular portion 6 at 90 degrees. Note that an example of a wire harness 1 having a structure in which the end portions of the electric wires 3 and the connector 3 are covered with the rubber cover 4 to provide waterproofing as shown in Fig. 5 is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-147834 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The wire harness 1 in Fig. 5 is assembled as follows. That is, as shown in Fig. 6(a), first, the electric wire 2 is inserted from the second tubular portion 6 to the first tubular portion 5 so as to penetrate the rubber cover 4. Next, the terminal fitting 7, which is provided in advance at the end of the electric wire 2, is accommodated in the connector housing 8, and then the connector 3 is formed as shown in Fig. 6(b). Finally, the connector 3 is moved by pulling the electric wire 2, and the connector 3 is covered with the first tubular portion 5 of the rubber cover 4, completing the assembly of the wire harness 1.

[0005] However, when the electric wire 2 is inserted from the side of the second tubular portion 6, the terminal fitting 7 attached to the electric wire 2 hits the inner surface of the first tubular portion 5 as shown in Fig. 7, which causes a problem of poor workability. For this reason, it is conceivable to make it easier to insert the electric wire 2 by bending the middle of the rubber cover 4 so that the first axis of the first tubular portion 5 is parallel to the second axis of the second tubular portion 6. However, because the middle of the rubber cover 4 does not bend smoothly due to the arrangement and shape of the first tubular portion 5 and the second tubular portion 6, it can be said that there is room for improvement in terms of bending.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an elastic cover that can be bent smoothly, and a wire harness including this elastic cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The elastic cover of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, includes a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion made of rubber or elastomer, which are formed continuously, and the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion are formed in an arrangement in which a first axis of the first tubular portion intersects with a second axis of the second tubular portion, and a bending assist portion is formed in a continuous portion of the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion to change the intersecting angle of the first axis and the second axis and to make it easier to bend the second tubular portion relative to the first tubular portion. In the elastic cover, The bending assist portion has a recessed thin-walled portion that is recessed when viewed from the outside of the elastic cover and has a thin wall thickness, and the recessed thin-walled portion is formed to include a shape that is convex toward the inner surface side of the cover. The continuous portion has a 1 / 2 cylindrical wall portion having one end connected to the second cylindrical portion and extending parallel to the second axis, and a 1 / 4 spherical wall portion having one end connected to the other end of the 1 / 2 cylindrical wall portion and the other end connected to the first cylindrical portion and whose extending direction from one end to the other end gradually changes from the direction along the second axis to the direction along the first axis, and the concave thin portion is formed in the 1 / 2 cylindrical wall portion. It is characterized by:

[0008] In addition, a wire harness made to solve the above problem is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned elastic cover, one or more electric wires inserted into the elastic cover, terminal fittings provided at the ends of the electric wires, and a connector having a connector housing in which the terminal fittings are accommodated. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The elastic cover of the present invention has an advantage that it can be bent smoothly, and the wire harness of the present invention has an advantage that it can be provided with a better wire harness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an elastic cover and a wire harness of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams of an elastic cover, in which (a) is a diagram seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion B in (a). [Diagram 3] 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the state before the pushing-down rib is pushed down, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the pushing-down rib has been pushed down, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the electric wire has been inserted. [Figure 4] 10A is a cross-sectional view showing the state before the bending assist part is bent and deformed, FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the bending assist part is bent and deformed, and FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the electric wire is inserted. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional wire harness. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams relating to the assembly of the wire harness in FIG. 5, in which (a) is a perspective view showing a state when electric wires are inserted, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state immediately before the connector is covered with a rubber cover. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a problem that occurs when inserting an electric wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The wire harness is configured to include an elastic cover, one or more electric wires inserted into the elastic cover, a terminal metal fitting provided at an end of the electric wire, and a connector having a connector housing in which the terminal metal fitting is accommodated. The elastic cover is formed by continuously forming a first tubular portion and a second tubular portion made of rubber or elastomer. The first tubular portion and the second tubular portion are formed in an arrangement in which a first axis of the first tubular portion intersects with a second axis of the second tubular portion. A bending assist portion is formed in the continuous portion of the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion to make it easier to bend the second tubular portion relative to the first tubular portion so as to change the intersecting angle of the first axis and the second axis. The bending assist portion is formed in a shape having a recessed thin portion. It is also formed in a shape having a push-down rib. In addition, the bending assist portion may be formed in a shape capable of bending and deforming the wall of the continuous portion toward the inside of the continuous portion. EXAMPLES

[0012] Hereinafter, examples will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the elastic cover and wire harness of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the elastic cover, where (a) is a view from the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, and (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in (a). Fig. 3 is a diagram of the operation of the elastic cover, where (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state before the pushing-down rib is pushed down, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the pushing-down rib has been pushed down, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after the electric wire has been inserted.

[0013] <About Wire Harness 11> In Fig. 1, a wire harness 11 to be installed in, for example, an automobile includes an elastic cover 12, for example, one electric wire 13 inserted into the elastic cover 12, and a connector 14 provided at an end of the electric wire 13. The connector 14 includes a terminal fitting 15 (see Fig. 3) provided at an end of the electric wire 13, and a connector housing (not shown) in which the terminal fitting 15 is accommodated. The electric wire 13, the connector 14, the terminal fitting 15, and the connector housing are basically the same as the electric wire 2, the connector 3, the terminal fitting 7, and the connector housing 8 shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The terminal fitting 15 (7) is shown in a schematic diagram.

[0014] <About the elastic cover 12> In FIG. 1, the elastic cover 12 is an elastic member made of rubber or elastomer, and is provided for waterproofing. The elastic cover 12 has a first tube portion 16 that covers the connector 14, and a second tube portion 17 through which the electric wire 13 is inserted. The first tube portion 16 and the second tube portion 17 are formed so as to be continuous. The first tube portion 16 and the second tube portion 17 are formed so as to be arranged such that the first axis CL1 of the first tube portion 16 intersects with the second axis CL2 of the second tube portion 17. Specifically, the first tube portion 16 and the second tube portion 17 are arranged so that the intersection angle θ1 between the first axis CL1 and the second axis CL2 is 90 degrees in the state of the elastic cover 12 alone (this is an example. The intersection angle θ1 may be less than 90 degrees in the state of the elastic cover 12 alone). The elastic cover 12 may be read as a "connector cover 12" or a "rubber cover 12".

[0015] <Regarding the first cylindrical portion 16> 1 to 3, the first tube portion 16 is formed in a rectangular tube shape. Here, if the arrow P in FIG. 1 is defined as the up-down direction, the arrow Q as the front-rear direction, and the arrow R as the left-right direction, the first tube portion 16 is formed in a rectangular tube shape having an upper wall 18, a side wall 19, an opening 20, and a connector accommodating space 21. A continuous portion 27, which will be described later, is formed in the upper wall 18. The side wall 19 is formed so that the outer surface is uneven according to the shape of the connector accommodating space 21. The opening 20 is a portion that opens on the opposite side (lower side) of the upper wall 18, and is formed as an insertion port when covering the connector 14. The connector accommodating space 21 is formed according to the outer shape of the connector 14 (and the connector housing). The connector accommodating space 21 is formed so as to communicate with the continuous portion 27 and the second tube portion 17.

[0016] <Regarding the second cylindrical portion 17> 1 to 3, the second cylindrical portion 17 is formed in the illustrated shape having a front cylindrical portion 22, a middle bellows portion 23, and a rear cylindrical portion 24. The front cylindrical portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The front cylindrical portion 22 is disposed on the side of the first cylindrical portion 16. The middle bellows portion 23 is formed in a bellows shape having a concave annular portion and a convex annular portion centered on the second axis CL2. The middle bellows portion 23 is disposed between the front cylindrical portion 22 and the rear cylindrical portion 24. The rear cylindrical portion 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The rear cylindrical portion 24 is disposed on the side away from the first cylindrical portion 16. The rear cylindrical portion 24 is formed with an electric wire insertion opening 25 (electric wire lead-out opening) which is a portion through which the electric wire 13 is inserted (a portion through which the electric wire 13 is led out), and a slit 26.

[0017] <Regarding continuation part 27> 1 to 3, the continuous portion 27 is a portion where the first cylindrical portion 16 and the second cylindrical portion 17 are continuous, and is formed as a part of the first cylindrical portion 16 and the second cylindrical portion 17. Although not specifically indicated by a reference numeral, the continuous portion 27 has a wall portion having a half cylindrical shape and a wall portion having a quarter spherical shape. In such a continuous portion 27, a bending assist portion 28, which is a characteristic portion of the present invention, is formed.

[0018] <About the bending assist unit 28> 1 to 3, the bending assist portion 28 is disposed on the wall portion of the half cylindrical shape. The bending assist portion 28 is formed to facilitate bending the second cylindrical portion 17 relative to the first cylindrical portion 16. The bending assist portion 28 is formed in a portion for facilitating bending in a direction in which the cross angle θ1 of the elastic cover 12 alone is changed from 90 degrees to a cross angle θ2 (θ2<θ1) smaller than 90 degrees. The bending assist portion 28 is formed in the illustrated shape having a recessed thin portion 29 and a push-down rib 30.

[0019] <About the thin recessed portion 29> In FIG. 2, the recessed thin-walled portion 29 is formed in a portion that is recessed when viewed from the outside of the elastic cover 12 (a portion where the cover outer surface 31 is recessed). The recessed thin-walled portion 29 is formed in a portion where the thickness is thinner than the thickness of the portion near the recessed thin-walled portion 29 (in this embodiment, in order to ensure a minimum thickness, the recessed thin-walled portion 29 is formed to include a shape (protruding portion 33) that is slightly protruding toward the cover inner surface 32 side). To explain the shape of the recessed thin-walled portion 29 in more detail, the recessed thin-walled portion 29 is formed in a concave shape having a sloping surface 34, a vertical surface 35, and a bottom 36. The sloping surface 34 is formed on a surface that faces a vertical surface 37 of the pushing-down rib 30, which will be described later, when the pushing-down rib 30, which will be described later, is pushed down. The recessed thin-walled portion 29 is formed in a portion where the continuous portion 27 is easily crushed with the recessed thin-walled portion 29 as a base point.

[0020] <About the Push Down Rib 30> In FIG. 2, the pushing-down rib 30 is formed in a convex portion of a size that allows the worker to push it down with his / her finger. The pushing-down rib 30 is disposed next to the thin recessed portion 29 (on the side of the intermediate bellows portion 23). The pushing-down rib 30 is formed in a portion that is used for pushing down the thin recessed portion 29. The pushing-down rib 30 is formed to protrude upward from the outer cover surface 31 in the continuous portion 27. The pushing-down rib 30 in this embodiment is formed to be lower in height than the intermediate bellows portion 23. The protruding tip of the pushing-down rib 30 is formed to have a slightly rounded shape with no corners. The reference symbol 37 in the pushing-down rib 30 indicates a vertical surface that faces the inclined surface 34 of the thin recessed portion 29 when the pushing-down rib 30 is pushed down. The vertical surface 37 is formed on the same plane as the vertical surface 35 of the thin recessed portion 29.

[0021] <Function of the elastic cover 12> FIG. 3(a) shows a state before the electric wire 13 is inserted into the elastic cover 12. At this time, the first tube portion 16 and the second tube portion 17 are arranged so that the crossing angle θ1 between the first axis CL1 and the second axis CL2 is 90 degrees (see FIG. 3(a)). When an operator pushes down the push-down rib 30 toward the recessed thin-walled portion 29, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the continuous portion 27 is crushed downward with the recessed thin-walled portion 29 as a base point, and the second tube portion 17 is lifted upward. That is, the electric wire insertion opening 25 of the second tube portion 17 is lifted so as to face obliquely upward. As a result, the crossing angle θ1 of 90 degrees in FIG. 3(a) becomes a crossing angle θ2 (θ2<θ1) smaller than 90 degrees in FIG. 3(b), and as a result, the second axis CL2 faces the side where the opening 20 of the first tube portion 16 is located. The second tubular portion 17 is smoothly bent relative to the first tubular portion 16, and then, as shown in Fig. 3(c), the electric wire 13 having the terminal fitting 15 at its end is inserted from the electric wire insertion opening 25 toward the opening 20. The insertion is performed without any bumps that would impede workability.

[0022] <About the effects> 1 to 3, according to the elastic cover 12 of one embodiment of the present invention, the bending assist portion 28 is formed at the continuous portion between the first tubular portion 16 and the second tubular portion 17, which has the effect of making it easier to bend the second tubular portion 17 relative to the first tubular portion 16. This also has the effect of improving workability.

[0023] Moreover, according to the elastic cover 12, the bending assist portion 28 is formed in a shape having a thin recessed portion 29, and the thin recessed portion 29 is formed in a concave shape and thin, which provides the effect of providing a shape that is easy to bend. Moreover, according to the elastic cover 12, the bending assist portion 28 is formed in a shape that further has a push-down rib 30, which provides the effect of making it easy to bend with the thin recessed portion 29 as a base point by pushing down the push-down rib 30.

[0024] In addition, since the wire harness 11 includes the elastic cover 12, an effect of providing a better product is achieved.

[0025] Incidentally, the bending assist section 28 described above is configured as the recessed thin-walled section 29 and the push-down rib 30 disposed in the wall section of the 1 / 2 cylindrical shape of the continuous section 27, but is not limited to this. That is, the bending assist section 38 may be configured as shown in the following modified example.

[0026] <About modified examples> 4 is an operation diagram of a modified elastic cover 12, where (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a state before bending assist portion 38 is bent, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state after bending assist portion 38 is bent, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing a state after electric wire 13 is inserted. The elastic cover 12 in Fig. 4 has a first tubular portion 16, a second tubular portion 17, a first axis CL1, a second axis CL2, and a continuous portion 27, similar to Figs. 1 to 3, although the shape is slightly different.

[0027] The continuous portion 27 is a portion where the first tubular portion 16 and the second tubular portion 17 are continuous, and is formed as a part of the first tubular portion 16 and the second tubular portion 17. The continuous portion 27 is formed with a side wall 39 (wall) that is continuous with the upper wall 18 of the first tubular portion 16 and the second tubular portion 17, and an upper wall 40 that is continuous from the upper end of the side wall 39 to the second tubular portion 17. The side wall 39 is formed with a bending assist portion 38. The bending assist portion 38 is disposed on the side wall 39 at a position where the second axis CL2 is extended. The bending assist portion 38 is formed in a shape that can bend and deform the side wall 39 at the above position inwardly of the continuous portion 27. Specifically, when viewed in cross section, the side wall 39 is formed in a shape that is slightly bent inwardly so that the middle is closer to the first axis CL1 than the positions of the upper and lower ends of the side wall 39 (this shape is not limited to this shape. It may simply be a thin-walled shape that is easily bent inwardly).

[0028] <Function of the elastic cover 12> In the state shown in Fig. 4(a), the first tube portion 16 and the second tube portion 17 are arranged so that the crossing angle θ1 between the first axis CL1 and the second axis CL2 is 90 degrees. When the worker presses the bending assist portion 38 inward, the bending assist portion 38 is bent inward (deformed so as to be crushed inward) as shown in Fig. 4(b), and the second tube portion 17 is lifted upward (lifted so that the wire insertion opening 25 of the second tube portion 17 faces diagonally upward). As a result, the crossing angle θ1 of 90 degrees in Fig. 4(a) becomes a crossing angle θ2 (θ2<θ1) smaller than 90 degrees in Fig. 4(b), and as a result, the second axis CL2 is oriented so as to approach the side where the opening 20 of the first tube portion 16 is located. The second tubular portion 17 is smoothly bent relative to the first tubular portion 16, and then, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the electric wire 13 having the terminal fitting 15 at its end is inserted from the electric wire insertion opening 25 toward the opening 20 without any abutments that would impede workability.

[0029] Of course, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 11…Wire harness 12...Elastic cover 13...Electric wire 14…Connector 15...Terminal metal fitting 16...First cylindrical part 17...Second cylindrical part 18…Upper wall 19…Side wall 20…Opening 21…Connector housing space 22...Front cylindrical section 23…Middle bellows section 24…Rear cylindrical section 25…Electric wire insertion hole 26...Slit 27...Continuous section 28…Bending assist section 29…Thin recess 30... Push down rib 31…Outer surface of cover 32…Inside of cover 33…Convex part 34...Slope 35…Vertical plane 36…bottom 37…Vertical plane 38…Bending assist section 39…Side wall 39 (wall) 40…Upper wall CL1…first axis CL2…Second axis θ1, θ2...Intersection angle

Claims

1. A first tubular portion and a second tubular portion made of rubber or elastomer are formed continuously, The first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion are formed in an arrangement in which a first axis of the first cylindrical portion intersects with a second axis of the second cylindrical portion, In the elastic cover, a bending assist portion is formed in a continuous portion of the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion to make it easier to bend the second tubular portion relative to the first tubular portion so as to change an intersection angle between the first axis and the second axis, the bending assist portion has a recessed thin-walled portion that is recessed when viewed from the outside of the elastic cover and has a thin wall thickness, the recessed thin-walled portion being formed to include a shape that is convex toward an inner surface side of the cover, The continuous portion has a half-cylindrical wall portion having one end connected to the second cylindrical portion and extending parallel to the second axis, and a quarter-spherical wall portion having one end connected to the other end of the half-cylindrical wall portion and the other end connected to the first cylindrical portion, and the extending direction from one end to the other end gradually changes from the direction along the second axis to the direction along the first axis, and the thin recessed portion is formed in the half-cylindrical wall portion. An elastic cover.

2. The elastic cover according to claim 1, The bending assist portion is formed in a shape having a push-down rib adjacent to the second cylindrical portion side of the recessed thin-walled portion, When the pushing-down rib is pushed down toward the thin recessed portion, the continuous portion is crushed with the thin recessed portion as a base point, and the extending direction of the second cylindrical portion with respect to the first cylindrical portion changes so that the intersecting angle between the first axis and the second axis becomes smaller. An elastic cover.

3. The elastic cover according to claim 1, The bending assist portion is formed into a shape capable of bending and deforming the wall of the continuous portion toward the inside of the continuous portion. An elastic cover.

4. A connector comprising the elastic cover according to claim 1, 2 or 3, one or more electric wires inserted through the elastic cover, terminal fittings provided at the ends of the electric wires, and a connector housing in which the terminal fittings are housed. A wire harness comprising:

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