Waterproof Structure of Wire Harness and Cable

Abstract

To provide a waterproof construction for a wiring harness and a cable capable of suppressing abrasion of a rubber plug and maintaining sealability for a long period of time.SOLUTION: A wiring harness 1 includes: a cable 2 of which a first wire to a fourth wire 21-24 are coated with a sheath 25; a rubber plug 3 which covers an end part of the sheath 25 together with a part in the longitudinal direction of the first wire to the fourth wire 21-24; and a cover 4 which is made by a material harder than the rubber plug 3 and houses the rubber plug 3. The rubber plug 3 includes, as one body, a sheath seal portion 31 which has an inner peripheral surface 31a contacting to an outer peripheral surface 25a of the sheath 25, and an electric wire seal portion 32 in which a plurality of insertion holes 321, 322a, 323, 324 into which first to fourth wires 21 to 24 are inserted is formed. The cover 4 includes, as one body, a sheath holding portion 401 for tightening and holding a sheath 25 of a part not covered with the rubber plug 3, and a rubber plug holding portion 402 for tightening and holding the rubber plug 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a waterproof structure for wire harnesses and cables.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a seal structure for preventing water from entering the inside of a sheath of a cable formed by covering a plurality of electric wires with the sheath, those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. The seal structure described in Patent Document 1 includes a rubber plug externally fitted to the end of the sheath, an inner support member having a support portion disposed inside the sheath, and an outer support member externally fitted to the rubber plug and pressing the rubber plug, and is configured such that the sheath is sandwiched between the support portion of the inner support member and the rubber plug.

[0003] The seal structure described in Patent Document 2 includes a rubber plug externally fitted to the end of the sheath, a cap externally fitted to the rubber plug, and a holder for holding the sheath. The holder has a rubber plug holding portion (locking portion) that engages with the cap. The rubber plug is configured such that the movement in the direction of coming off from the end of the sheath is suppressed by the engagement of the rubber plug holding portion with the cap.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the cable as described above is used, for example, to connect the vehicle body side and the wheel side of an automobile, the cable is repeatedly bent due to the up-and-down movement of the vehicle body with respect to the wheel and the steering of the wheel. Then, when sliding occurs between the sheath and the rubber plug during this bending, the rubber plug may wear out and the sealing performance may deteriorate. In the sealing structure described in Patent Document 2, the relative movement between the sheath and the rubber plug is suppressed by the engagement of the holder and the cap. However, when the cap tilts with respect to the holder when the cable is bent, slight sliding may occur between the sheath and the rubber plug, and there is a risk that the sealing performance may deteriorate due to the accumulation of wear during long-term use.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness and a waterproof structure for a cable that can suppress wear of the rubber plug and maintain the sealing performance over a long period of time.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the above problems, and provides a wire harness including a cable formed by covering a plurality of electric wires with a sheath, a rubber plug covering an end portion of the sheath together with a part of the longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires, and a cover made of a material harder than the rubber plug and accommodating the rubber plug. The rubber plug integrally has a sheath sealing portion having an inner circumferential surface that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the sheath, and a wire sealing portion in which a plurality of insertion holes for inserting the plurality of electric wires are formed. The cover integrally has a sheath holding portion that clamps and holds the sheath of the portion not covered by the rubber plug, and a rubber plug holding portion that clamps and holds the rubber plug.

[0008] Further, the present invention is a waterproof structure for suppressing water intrusion from the end of a sheath in a cable in which a plurality of electric wires are led out from the end of the sheath, using a rubber plug and a cover for accommodating the rubber plug. The rubber plug integrally has a sheath seal portion having an inner peripheral surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the sheath and a wire seal portion having an inner peripheral surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of electric wires. The cover is made of a material harder than the rubber plug and integrally has a sheath holding portion that clamps and holds the sheath at a portion not covered by the rubber plug and a rubber plug holding portion that clamps and holds the rubber plug, thereby providing a waterproof structure for the cable.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the waterproof structure of the wire harness and the cable according to the present invention, wear of the rubber plug can be suppressed, and the sealing performance can be maintained over a long period.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

[0011] [Embodiment] A waterproof structure of a wire harness and a cable according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0012] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing a branch portion which is a main part of a wire harness according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view showing the inside of the cover with the cover lid removed. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 2. FIGS. 4(a) to (c) are cross-sectional views taken along line A-A, line B-B, and line C-C of FIG. 1(a).

[0013] This wire harness 1 includes a cable 2 having first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 and a sheath 25, a rubber stopper 3 for stopping water at the end of the sheath 25, a cover 4 for housing the rubber stopper 3, and first and second protective tubes 51, 52. The wire harness 1 is mounted on a vehicle, for example, and is used to connect a control device of a brake system, an electric brake device, and an ABS (antilock brake system) sensor. The electric brake device is operated by an electric current supplied from the control device and generates a braking force for braking the wheels. The ABS sensor is a magnetic sensor for detecting the magnetic field of a magnetic encoder attached to a rotating member of a hub supporting the wheels.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 4(a), in cable 2, the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are collectively covered by sheath 25. Cable 2 has a solid structure in which sheath 25 is solid extruded around the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24. The first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are insulated electric wires in which central conductors 211, 221, 231, 241 are covered by insulators 212, 222, 232, 242.

[0015] The central conductors 211, 221, 231, 241 are stranded wires formed by stranding a plurality of strands made of, for example, a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy. The insulators 212, 222, 232, 242 are made of, for example, cross-linked PE (polyethylene) or flame-retardant cross-linked PE (polyethylene). The sheath 25 is made of, for example, PU (polyurethane) and is formed so as to enter the valleys between the first and second electric wires 21, 22 and the third and fourth electric wires 23, 24. The outer peripheral surface 25a of the sheath 25 in the cross section viewed from the longitudinal direction of the cable 2 is circular.

[0016] The first and second electric wires 21, 22 are, for example, power supply lines for supplying power for the operation of an electric brake device. The third and fourth electric wires 23, 24 are, for example, signal lines for transmitting signals of an ABS sensor. The first and second electric wires 21, 22 are formed to have a larger outer diameter than the power supply lines of the third and fourth electric wires 23, 24. Around the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24, a lubricant 26 for lubricating the movement of the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 in the sheath 25 when the cable 2 is bent is disposed. The lubricant 26 is, for example, fine powder such as talc or silica. Note that the lubricant 26 may be fibrous.

[0017] The first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are led out from the sheath 25 inside the cover 4 and branch in the first and second directions. The first and second electric wires 21 and 22 constitute a group of electric wires led out from the cover 4 in the first direction, and the space between the cover 4 and the connection target (for example, an electric brake device) is covered by the first protective tube 51. The third and fourth electric wires 23 and 24 constitute another group of electric wires led out from the cover 4 in the second direction different from the first direction, and the space between the cover 4 and the connection target (for example, an ABS sensor) is covered by the second protective tube 52. In FIG. 1(a), the first direction is indicated by arrow A1, and the second direction is indicated by arrow A2. The first and second protective tubes 51 and 52 are bellows-shaped corrugated tubes made of resin.

[0018] FIG. 5 shows the rubber plug 3. (a) shows the axial end face 3a on the side where the sheath 25 is inserted, (b) shows the outer peripheral face 3b, and (c) shows the axial end face 3c on the side where the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are led out. FIG. 5(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 5(a), and FIG. 5(e) is a perspective view of the rubber plug 3 obliquely viewed axially from the side of the axial end face 3a.

[0019] The rubber plug 3 is made of a rubber material such as ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) or silicone rubber, and covers the end portion of the sheath 25 together with a part of the longitudinal direction of the first to fourth electric wires. The rubber plug 3 integrally has a sheath seal portion 31 having an inner peripheral face 31a that elastically contacts the outer peripheral face 25a of the sheath 25, and a wire seal portion 32 in which first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 for inserting the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are formed.

[0020] A plurality of ribs 301 are formed on the outer peripheral face 3b of the rubber plug 3 that contacts the inner face of the cover 4. Among the plurality of ribs 301, some ribs 301 are formed on the outer periphery of the sheath seal portion 31, and the other ribs 301 are formed on the outer periphery of the wire seal portion 32. Each rib 301 is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the rubber plug 3.

[0021] The sheath seal part 31 is cylindrical with a receiving hole 310 for receiving the end of the sheath 25 formed at the center. A plurality of ribs 311 extending in the circumferential direction are formed on the inner circumferential surface 31a of the sheath seal part 31. Each rib 311 is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the sheath seal part 31.

[0022] The first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 have one end opening to the bottom surface 310a of the receiving hole 310 and the other end opening to the axial end surface 3c of the rubber plug 3. The first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 are formed independently of each other without communicating with each other. The inner diameter of each of the first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of each of the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24.

[0023] The cover 4 is made of a material harder than the rubber plug 3 and the sheath 25 and is composed of a combination of a pair of cover members. In the present embodiment, as the pair of cover members, the cover 4 has a cover main body 41 and a cover lid 42. As the material of the cover main body 41 and the cover lid 42, for example, insulators such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) and nylon can be preferably used. The cover main body 41 and the cover lid 42 are fixed to each other by locking a plurality of locking protrusions 42a to 42g provided on the cover lid 42 into a plurality of locking holes 41a to 41g provided on the cover main body 41. Note that a plurality of locking protrusions may be formed on the cover main body 41 and a plurality of locking holes may be formed on the cover lid 42. Further, the cover 4 can also use metal, and it is also possible to use a material obtained by adding metal powder or filler to an insulator to harden it.

[0024] The cover 4 clamps and holds the sheath 25 and the rubber stopper 3 by sandwiching the sheath 25 and the rubber stopper 3 between the cover body 41 and the cover lid 42. As a configuration for this, as shown in Fig. 1(a), the cover 4 has a sheath holding portion 401 that clamps and holds the portion of the sheath 25 not covered by the rubber stopper 3, and a rubber stopper holding portion 402 that clamps and holds the rubber stopper 3. The sheath holding portion 401 and the rubber stopper holding portion 402 are arranged adjacent to each other along the axial direction of the rubber stopper 3.

[0025] The sheath holding portion 401 is composed of a main body side sheath holding portion 411 of the cover body 41 and a lid side sheath holding portion 421 of the cover lid 42. The main body side sheath holding portion 411 and the lid side sheath holding portion 421 are walls each formed in a semi-circular fan shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the cable 2, and semi-circular notches 411a, 421a with an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the sheath 25 are formed at their central portions. The inner diameter of the insertion hole 40 (see Fig. 7 described later) of the cable 2 in the cover 4 formed by the combination of these notches 411a, 421a is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the sheath 25. The sheath 25 is sandwiched between the main body side sheath holding portion 411 and the lid side sheath holding portion 421, and relative movement with respect to the cover 4 is restricted.

[0026] The rubber stopper holding portion 402 is composed of a main body side rubber stopper holding portion 412 of the cover body 41 and a lid side rubber stopper holding portion 422 of the cover lid 42. The main body side rubber stopper holding portion 412 and the lid side rubber stopper holding portion 422 are each in a semi-cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical rubber stopper holding portion 402 is formed by combining the main body side rubber stopper holding portion 412 and the lid side rubber stopper holding portion 422. The outer peripheral surface 3b of the rubber stopper 3 contacts the inner surfaces 412a, 422a of the main body side rubber stopper holding portion 412 and the lid side rubber stopper holding portion 422. The inner diameter of the rubber stopper holding portion 402 is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rib 301 of the rubber stopper 3 in the natural state.

[0027] The length of the cable 2 in the longitudinal direction of the rubber stopper holding portion 402 is longer than the length of the cable 2 in the longitudinal direction of the sheath holding portion 401. This suppresses the shortening of the length by which the cable 2 can be bent, while enabling appropriate sealing performance to be ensured.

[0028] Further, the cover 4 has a wire holding portion 403 that holds the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 led out from the rubber stopper 3 along the arrangement direction of the sheath holding portion 401 and the rubber stopper holding portion 402, a first wire leading portion 404 extending in the first direction, and a second wire leading portion 405 extending in the second direction. The wire holding portion 403 houses the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 and extends in the arrangement direction of the sheath holding portion 401 and the rubber stopper holding portion 402. The first wire leading portion 404 houses the first and second electric wires 21 and 22 and leads the first and second electric wires 21 and 22 out of the cover 4 in the first direction. The second wire leading portion 405 houses the third and fourth electric wires 23 and 24 and leads the third and fourth electric wires 23 and 24 out of the cover 4 in the second direction.

[0029] The wire holding portion 403 is composed of a main body side wire holding portion 413 of the cover main body 41 and a lid body side wire holding portion 423 of the cover lid body 42. The first wire leading portion 404 is composed of a first main body side wire leading portion 414 of the cover main body 41 and a first lid body side wire leading portion 424 of the cover lid body 42. The second wire leading portion 405 is composed of a second main body side wire leading portion 415 of the cover main body 41 and a second lid body side wire leading portion 425 of the cover lid body 42.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, a semi-circular sector-shaped partition wall 416 is provided between the main body side rubber stopper holding portion 412 and the main body side wire holding portion 413 in the cover main body 41. The rubber stopper 3 is disposed between the main body side sheath holding portion 411 and the partition wall 416. Further, a semi-circular sector-shaped support wall 417 that supports the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 is provided between the main body side wire holding portion 413 and the first main body side wire leading portion 414 and the second main body side wire leading portion 415 in the cover main body 41. A semi-circular notch 417a is formed at the center of the support wall 417.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, on the cover lid 42, a semi-circular sector-shaped support wall 427 for supporting the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 is provided between the lid-side electric wire holding portion 423, the first lid-side electric wire leading-out portion 424, and the second lid-side electric wire leading-out portion 425. A semi-circular notch 427a is formed at the center of the support wall 427. Between the support wall 427 and the support wall 417 of the cover main body 41, the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are inserted through the notches 417a and 427a and bundled between the electric wire holding portion 403, the first electric wire leading-out portion 404, and the second electric wire leading-out portion 405.

[0032] On the first main body-side electric wire leading-out portion 414 of the cover main body 41 and the first lid-side electric wire leading-out portion 424 of the cover lid 42, a plurality of engaging protrusions 414a and 424a that engage with a plurality of valleys 511 of the first protective tube 51 are respectively formed. Also, on the second main body-side electric wire leading-out portion 415 of the cover main body 41 and the second lid-side electric wire leading-out portion 425 of the cover lid 42, a plurality of engaging protrusions 415a and 425a that engage with a plurality of valleys 521 of the second protective tube 52 are respectively formed. The first protective tube 51 is sandwiched between the first main body-side electric wire leading-out portion 414 and the first lid-side electric wire leading-out portion 424. The second protective tube 52 is sandwiched between the second main body-side electric wire leading-out portion 415 and the second lid-side electric wire leading-out portion 425.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E of Fig. 1(a) including the electric wire sealing portion 32 of the rubber plug 3. The inner peripheral surfaces 321a, 322a, 323a, and 324a of the first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 are elastically in contact with the outer peripheral surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a of the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24, respectively. Thereby, the intrusion of water from the first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 into the inside of the sheath 25 is suppressed.

[0034] In addition, since the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 are bundled by the support walls 417 and 427 of the cover body 41 and the cover lid 42, the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 in the wire holding portion 403 are in a straight line state, and it is possible to suppress a gap from being formed between the inner peripheral surfaces 321a, 322a, 323a, 324a of the first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 and the outer peripheral surfaces 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a of the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F of FIG. 1(a) including the sheath holding portion 401. In FIG. 7, the outer diameter of the sheath 25 in the natural state before being held by the sheath holding portion 401 is indicated by a virtual line (two-dot chain line). The sheath 25 is compressed so as to have a reduced diameter by being sandwiched between the main body side sheath holding portion 411 and the lid body side sheath holding portion 421. If the outer diameter of the sheath 25 before being held by the sheath holding portion 401 is D1 and the outer diameter of the sheath 25 in the state of being held by the sheath holding portion 401 is D2, this difference (D1 - D2) becomes the tightening amount of the sheath 25 in the sheath holding portion 401 by the cover 4.

[0036] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G of FIG. 1(a) including the sheath seal portion 31 of the rubber plug 3 and the rubber plug holding portion 402. In FIG. 8, the outer diameter of the rib 301 of the rubber plug 3 in the natural state before being held by the rubber plug holding portion 402 is indicated by a virtual line (two-dot chain line). The rubber plug 3 is compressed so as to have a reduced diameter by being sandwiched between the main body side rubber plug holding portion 412 and the lid body side rubber plug holding portion 422. If the outer diameter of the sheath seal portion 31 (rib 301) of the rubber plug 3 before being held by the rubber plug holding portion 402 is D3 and the outer diameter of the sheath seal portion 31 (rib 301) in the state of being held by the rubber plug holding portion 402 is D4, this difference (D3 - D4) becomes the tightening amount of the sheath seal portion 31 of the rubber plug 3 in the rubber plug holding portion 402 by the cover 4.

[0037] The tightening amount (D1 - D2) of the sheath 25 in the sheath holding portion 401 by the cover 4 is larger than the tightening amount (D3 - D4) of the sheath seal portion 31 of the rubber plug 3 in the rubber plug holding portion 402 by the cover 4. Thereby, the tightening force of the sheath 25 in the sheath holding portion 401 by the cover 4 is larger than the tightening force of the rubber plug 3 in the rubber plug holding portion 402 by the cover 4, and the sheath 25 is firmly held by the cover 4.

[0038] (Actions and Effects of Embodiment) According to the embodiment described above, since the cover 4 integrally has the sheath holding portion 401 and the rubber plug holding portion 402, even if the cable 2 is bent, slippage between the rubber plug 3 and the sheath 25 is suppressed. That is, the sheath 25 is held by the sheath holding portion 401, and the rubber plug 3 is held by the rubber plug holding portion 402 provided integrally with the sheath holding portion 401. Therefore, an external force acting on the cable 2 outside the cover 4 is difficult to be transmitted to the sheath 25 in the portion accommodated in the accommodation hole 310 of the rubber plug 3, and slippage between the rubber plug 3 and the sheath 25 is suppressed. Thereby, wear of the rubber plug 3 is suppressed, and the sealing property of the rubber plug 3 can be maintained over a long period. Further, since the sheath 25 is held by the sheath holding portion 401, intrusion of water into the cover 4 from between the outer peripheral surface 25a of the sheath 25 and the sheath holding portion 401 is suppressed.

[0039] [Modification Example] FIG. 9 shows a rubber plug 3A according to a modification example, (a) is a side view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view. In this rubber plug 3A, a part 32A on the sheath seal portion 31 side in the wire seal portion 32 is formed of a rubber material harder than the other part 32B and the sheath seal portion 31. According to this modification example, since a part 32A on the sheath seal portion 31 side is hard, the operation of inserting the first to fourth electric wires 21 to 24 into the first to fourth insertion holes 321 to 324 becomes easy, and the sealing property of the wire seal portion 32 is ensured by the other part 32B. Note that the rubber plug 3A having such a configuration can be manufactured by a two-color molding method.

[0040] (Summary of Embodiments) Next, the technical idea grasped from the embodiments described above will be described by referring to the reference numerals and the like in the embodiments. However, each reference numeral in the following description is not limited to the members or the like that specifically show the components in the claims in the embodiments.

[0041] [1] A cable (2) formed by covering a plurality of electric wires (21 to 24) with a sheath (25), a rubber plug (3) that covers an end portion of the sheath (2) together with a part of the longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires (21 to 24), and a cover (4) made of a material harder than the rubber plug (3) and accommodating the rubber plug (3). The rubber plug (3) integrally has a sheath seal portion (31) having an inner peripheral surface (31a) that contacts the outer peripheral surface (25a) of the sheath (25), and a wire seal portion (32) in which a plurality of insertion holes (321 to 324) for inserting the plurality of electric wires (21 to 24) are formed. The cover (4) is made of a material harder than the rubber plug (3) and integrally has a sheath holding portion (401) that clamps and holds the sheath (25) at a portion not covered by the rubber plug (3), and a rubber plug holding portion (402) that clamps and holds the rubber plug (3), a wire harness (1).

[0042] [2] The cover (4) is formed by combining a pair of cover members (41, 42), and the sheath (25) and the rubber plug (3) are clamped by sandwiching the sheath (25) and the rubber plug (3) between the pair of cover members (41, 42). The wire harness (1) according to [1] above.

[0043] [3] The amount of clamping of the sheath (25) in the sheath holding portion (401) by the cover (4) is larger than the amount of clamping of the sheath seal portion (402) in the rubber plug holding portion (402) by the cover (4). The wire harness (1) according to [1] or [2] above.

[0044] [4] The plurality of electric wires (21 to 24) includes a group of a plurality of electric wires (21, 22) led out from the cover (4) in a first direction and another group of a plurality of electric wires (23, 24) led out in a second direction different from the first direction. The rubber plug (3) is formed with a plurality of insertion holes (321 to 324) for inserting the group of a plurality of electric wires (21, 22) and the other group of a plurality of electric wires (23, 24) respectively. The wire harness (1) according to any one of [1] to [3] above.

[0045] [5] The cover (4) has a wire holding portion (403) for holding the plurality of electric wires (21 to 24) led out from the rubber plug (3) along the arrangement direction of the sheath holding portion (401) and the rubber plug holding portion (402), a first wire leading portion (404) that accommodates the group of a plurality of electric wires (21, 22), extends in the first direction, and leads out the plurality of electric wires (21, 22) in the first direction, and a second wire leading portion (405) that accommodates the other group of a plurality of electric wires (23, 24), extends in the second direction, and leads out the plurality of electric wires (23, 24) along the second direction. The wire harness (1) according to [4] above.

[0046] [6] A waterproof structure for suppressing the intrusion of water from the end of the sheath (25) in a cable (2) where a plurality of electric wires (21 to 24) are led out from the end of the sheath (25). A rubber plug (3) and a cover (4) for accommodating the rubber plug (3) are used. The rubber plug (3) integrally has a sheath sealing portion (31) having an inner peripheral surface (31a) that contacts the outer peripheral surface (25a) of the sheath (25), and a wire sealing portion (32) having inner peripheral surfaces (321a, 322a, 323a, 324a) that contact the outer peripheral surfaces (21a, 22a, 23a, 24a) of the plurality of electric wires (21 to 24) respectively. The cover (4) is made of a material harder than the rubber plug (3), and integrally has a sheath holding portion (401) for clamping and holding the portion of the sheath (25) not covered by the rubber plug (3), and a rubber plug holding portion (402) for clamping and holding the rubber plug (3). A waterproof structure of the cable.

[0047] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention according to the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential means for solving the problems of the invention.

[0048] In addition, the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from its gist. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the cover body 41 and the cover lid 42 are fixed to each other by locking a plurality of locking protrusions 42a to 42g in a plurality of locking holes 41a to 41g has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cover body 41 and the cover lid 42 may be connected by a hinge.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0049] 1... Wire harness 2... Cable 21 to 24... First to fourth electric wires 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a... Outer peripheral surface 25... Sheath 25a... Outer peripheral surface 3... Rubber plug 31... Sheath seal portion 31a... Inner peripheral surface 32... Electric wire seal portion 321 to 324... First to fourth insertion holes 321a, 322a, 323a, 324a... Inner peripheral surface 4... Cover 401... Sheath holding portion 402... Rubber plug holding portion 403... Electric wire holding portion 404... First electric wire lead-out portion 405... Second electric wire lead-out portion 41... Cover body 42... Cover lid

Claims

1. A cable formed by covering a plurality of electric wires with a sheath, A rubber plug that covers an end portion of the sheath together with a part of the longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires, A cover made of a material harder than the rubber plug and housing the rubber plug, The rubber plug integrally has a sheath seal portion having an inner circumferential surface that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the sheath, and a wire seal portion in which a plurality of insertion holes for inserting the plurality of electric wires are formed, The cover integrally has a sheath holding portion that tightens and holds the sheath of a portion not covered by the rubber plug, and a rubber plug holding portion that tightens and holds the rubber plug, A wire harness.

2. The cover is formed by combining a pair of cover members, and clamps the sheath and the rubber plug by sandwiching the sheath and the rubber plug between the pair of cover members, The wire harness according to claim 1.

3. The tightening amount of the sheath in the sheath holding portion by the cover is larger than the tightening amount of the sheath seal portion in the rubber plug holding portion by the cover, The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The plurality of electric wires include a group of a plurality of electric wires led out from the cover in a first direction and another group of a plurality of electric wires led out from the cover in a second direction different from the first direction, The rubber plug is formed with a plurality of insertion holes for inserting the group of a plurality of electric wires and the other group of a plurality of electric wires, The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The cover has a wire holding portion that holds the plurality of electric wires led out from the rubber plug along the arrangement direction of the sheath holding portion and the rubber plug holding portion, a first wire leading portion that houses the group of the plurality of electric wires and extends in the first direction and leads out the plurality of electric wires in the first direction, and a second wire leading portion that houses the other group of the plurality of electric wires and extends in the second direction and leads out the plurality of electric wires in the second direction. The wire harness according to claim 4.

6. A waterproof structure for suppressing the intrusion of water from the end of a sheath in a cable in which a plurality of electric wires are led out from the end of the sheath, using a rubber plug and a cover that houses the rubber plug, the rubber plug integrally has a sheath sealing portion having an inner peripheral surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the sheath and a wire sealing portion having an inner peripheral surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of each of the plurality of electric wires, the cover is made of a material harder than the rubber plug and integrally has a sheath holding portion that clamps and holds the sheath of the portion not covered by the rubber plug and a rubber plug holding portion that clamps and holds the rubber plug. A waterproof structure for a cable.

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