Wire harness

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of facilitating the connection between a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses and the connection between the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses and devices.SOLUTION: A wire harness 30 includes a plurality of types of connectors 40 having different connection destinations, and a plurality of wirings 50 for connecting the plurality of types of connectors 40 to one another. The plurality of types of connectors 40 include a device connector 42 to be connected to the connector 40 of the device 22, and a plurality of types of harness connectors 44 to which the connectors 40 of different mating wire harnesses 20 are connected. The plurality of wirings 50 include through-circuit wiring 52 for connecting a first harness connector 44X and a second harness connector 44Y out of the plurality of types of harness connectors 44, and a plurality of device wirings 51 for connecting the device connector 42 to the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an interconnection box that electrically connects an instrument panel harness, an engine room harness, a door harness, and a floor harness to one another. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-202352 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is desired to simplify the connection of a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to each other and the connection of the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to devices.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can easily connect a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to each other and to connect the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The wire harness of the present disclosure includes a plurality of types of connectors having different connection destinations, and a plurality of wirings connecting the plurality of types of connectors, wherein the plurality of types of connectors include an equipment connector that is connected to a connector of an equipment, and a plurality of types of harness connectors, each of which is connected to a different connector of a mating wire harness, and the plurality of wirings include through circuit wiring that connects a first harness connector and a second harness connector among the plurality of types of harness connectors, and a plurality of equipment wirings that connect the equipment connector to the first harness connector and the second harness connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily connect a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to each other and to connect the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wire harness according to the first embodiment is arranged in a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the wire harness according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between a plurality of types of connectors and a plurality of wires. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between the device connector, the first harness connector, and the second harness connector. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded plan view showing the wire harness according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness according to a first modified example. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a wire harness according to a second modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness according to a third modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness according to a fifth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The wire harness of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A wire harness comprising a plurality of types of connectors having different connection destinations and a plurality of wirings connecting the plurality of types of connectors, the plurality of types of connectors including an equipment connector connected to a connector of an equipment and a plurality of types of harness connectors each connected to a different connector of a mating wire harness, the plurality of wirings including through circuit wirings connecting a first harness connector to a second harness connector among the plurality of types of harness connectors, and a plurality of equipment wirings connecting the equipment connector to the first harness connector and the second harness connector. By using the wire harness of the present disclosure including, as the plurality of wirings, through circuit wirings connecting the first harness connector to the second harness connector and a plurality of equipment wirings connecting the equipment connector to the first harness connector and the second harness connector, the connection of the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to each other and the connection of the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses to equipment is simplified.

[0012] (2) In the wire harness of (1), a part of the plurality of wires may be grouped together to form a first wiring group, and another part of the plurality of wires may be grouped separately from the first wiring group to form a second wiring group. This allows the first wiring group and the second wiring group to be manufactured separately and then combined later to form the wire harness.

[0013] (3) In the wire harness of (2), the first wiring group and the second wiring group may be formed flat and stacked on each other, which makes it easier to arrange the wire harness in a narrow space in a vehicle.

[0014] (4) In the wire harness of (3), each of the first wiring group and the second wiring group may include a plurality of electric wires and a flat base member that keeps the plurality of electric wires flat, thereby easily providing the flat first wiring group and the flat second wiring group.

[0015] (5) In the wire harness of (4), a plurality of the base members may be provided at intervals along the extending direction of the plurality of electric wires at corresponding locations of the first wiring group and the second wiring group. This makes it easier for the plurality of electric wires to bend and absorb path differences or excess length in the portions between the plurality of base members compared to the portions where the plurality of base members are provided. This makes it easier for a common wire harness to be applied to vehicles of different sizes.

[0016] (6) In the wire harness of (4) or (5), the base member may be a flexible sheet member, and may include a rigid member that is more rigid than the sheet member and that maintains the wiring configuration of the first wiring group and the second wiring group. By disposing the rigid member in the vehicle, the wiring can be arranged along a predetermined path.

[0017] (7) In the wire harness of any one of (2) to (6), a majority of the first wiring group may be the device wirings, and a majority of the second wiring group may be the through circuit wirings. This allows most of the device wirings and most of the through circuit wirings to be separated.

[0018] (8) In the wire harness of any one of (2) to (6), a majority of the first wiring group may be signal lines, and a proportion of power lines in the second wiring group may be higher than a proportion of power lines in the first wiring group. This makes it possible to separate most of the power lines from most of the signal lines.

[0019] (9) In the wire harness of any one of (2) to (8), at least one of the plurality of types of connectors may be composed of a plurality of split connectors, and the plurality of split connectors may include a first split connector to which the first wiring group is connected and a second split connector to which the second wiring group is connected. This makes it easy to manufacture the first wiring group and the second wiring group separately and later assemble them into a wire harness.

[0020] (10) In the wire harness of any one of (1) to (9), three or more types of harness connectors may be provided as the multiple types of harness connectors, thereby enabling the wire harness to connect three or more types of mating wire harnesses and devices.

[0021] (11) In the wire harness of any one of (1) to (10), the length of each of the plurality of wires may be one meter or less. This allows the wire harness to connect a device and a mating wire harness in a narrow area of ​​a vehicle.

[0022] (12) In any one of the wire harnesses (1) to (11), the arrangement area in the vehicle may be an area where a dash panel and a cowl side panel intersect, and the multiple types of harness connectors may be two or more types of connectors selected from the group consisting of an engine room harness connector, an instrument panel harness connector, a door harness connector, and a floor harness connector. This simplifies the work of connecting the multiple types of connectors in the narrow area where the dash panel and the cowl side panel intersect in the vehicle.

[0023] (13) In the wire harness of (12), the plurality of types of harness connectors may include the engine room harness connector, the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector, and the wiring portions extending from the engine room harness connector may be held so as to be arranged along the dash panel, the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector may be aligned in a height direction, and the wiring portions extending from the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector may be held so as to be arranged along the cowl side panel. This allows the instrument panel harness, the engine room harness, the door harness, and the floor harness to be connected to the engine room harness connector, the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector, respectively, at positions close to their own wiring areas.

[0024] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0025] [Embodiment 1] The wire harness according to the first embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wire harness 30 according to the first embodiment is arranged in a vehicle 10. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction shown in Fig. 1 correspond to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the vehicle 10. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the wire harness 30 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram explaining the correspondence between multiple types of connectors 40 and multiple wirings 50. Fig. 4 is a diagram explaining the correspondence between the device connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y. Fig. 5 is an exploded plan view showing the wire harness 30 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 2.

[0026] The wire harness 30 is arranged, for example, in a vehicle 10. The wire harness 30 is interposed between a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 and devices 22, and connects the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other and also connects each of the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the devices 22. The plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 are arranged in different areas of the vehicle 10.

[0027] For convenience, the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10, the mating wire harness 20, and the device 22 will be described first.

[0028] The arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Considering that the wire harness 30 is interposed between a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20, the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 is preferably an area close to the boundary between a plurality of areas in which the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 are respectively arranged. Here, the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 will be described as being the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect.

[0029] The dash panel 11 separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment in the vehicle 10. The engine compartment is located in front of the dash panel 11, and the passenger compartment is located behind the dash panel 11. Typically, an instrument panel is provided behind the dash panel 11 and is exposed to the passenger compartment. The dash panel 11 includes a main body portion 12 and a protruding portion 13. The main surface of the main body portion 12 of the dash panel 11 extends in the left-right and up-down directions in the vehicle 10. The protruding portion 13 is provided below the left-right ends of the main body portion 12. The protruding portion 13 is a portion that protrudes toward the passenger compartment beyond the main body portion 12. The protruding portion 13 is a portion for providing a wheelhouse in the vehicle 10.

[0030] The cowl side panels 15 are continuous with the dash panel 11 on both the left and right sides of the dash panel 11. The main surfaces of the cowl side panels 15 extend in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions of the vehicle 10. FIG. 1 shows the area where the dash panel 11 intersects with the cowl side panel 15 provided on the left side of the dash panel 11. The lower front edge of the cowl side panel 15 is curved in accordance with the protruding portion 13.

[0031] An end of an instrument panel reinforcement 17 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is provided between the dash panel 11 and the instrument panel. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is a rod-shaped member that is long in the left-right direction.

[0032] A floor panel 18 is provided below the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. The main surface of the floor panel 18 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle 10.

[0033] When the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 is the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect, the mating wire harness 20 may be an engine room harness 20A, an instrument panel harness 20B, a door harness 20C, a floor harness 20D, or the like. The engine room harness 20A is arranged in the engine room. The instrument panel harness 20B is arranged to extend along the instrument panel reinforcement 17. The door harness 20C is arranged in the door. The floor harness 20D is arranged on the floor. The mating wire harness 20 may also be a roof harness 20E. The roof harness 20E is arranged on the roof.

[0034] In this disclosure, the term "engine room" is a convenient name for a front compartment located in front of the vehicle interior, and does not necessarily mean that an engine is located in the engine room. Similarly, in this disclosure, the term "engine room harness 20A" is a convenient name for the mating wire harness 20 located in the front compartment located in front of the vehicle interior.

[0035] The arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 and the arrangement area of ​​the engine room harness 20A are separated by a dash panel 11. Here, a through hole 14 is formed in the dash panel 11. The wire harness 30 and the engine room harness 20A are connected through the through hole 14. Similarly, the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 and the arrangement area of ​​the door harness 20C are separated by a cowl side panel 15. Here, a through hole 16 is formed in the cowl side panel 15. The wire harness 30 and the door harness 20C are connected through the through hole 16. For example, a rocker portion 18a is located at the side edge of a floor panel 18 of the vehicle. An end of the floor harness 20D connected to the wire harness 30 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle along the rocker portion 18a. The roof is located above the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. For example, the end of the roof harness 20E that is connected to the wire harness 30 extends along the A-pillar 19 from the roof to the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect or the vicinity thereof.

[0036] The device 22 is arranged in the same area as the wiring harness 30. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the device 22 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The device 22 may also be fixed to the dash panel 11, the instrument panel reinforcement 17, the floor panel 18, or the like.

[0037] The device 22 may be, for example, an ECU (electronic control unit). The vehicle 10 may be provided with one central ECU and multiple zone ECUs. A zone ECU is provided for each of the multiple zones into which the vehicle 10 is divided. The zone ECU mainly controls the devices present in that zone. The central ECU supervises the multiple zone ECUs to achieve cooperative control over the entire vehicle 10. The device 22 may be, for example, a zone ECU. In this case, the control targets of the device 22 as a zone ECU include multiple devices connected to the engine room harness 20A, the instrument panel harness 20B, the door harness 20C, and the floor harness 20D.

[0038] However, the device 22, which is an ECU, may be a general ECU other than a zone ECU. Also, the device 22 does not have to be an ECU, and may be, for example, a junction block (also called an electrical connection box).

[0039] The wire harness 30 includes a plurality of types of connectors 40 and a plurality of wires 50 connecting the plurality of types of connectors 40 together.

[0040] The multiple types of connectors 40 have different connection destinations. The multiple types of connectors 40 include an equipment connector 42 and multiple types of harness connectors 44. The equipment connector 42 is connected to a connector of the equipment 22. The multiple types of harness connectors 44 are connected to different connectors of the mating wire harness 20, respectively. Here, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include an engine room harness connector 44A, an instrument panel harness connector 44B, a door harness connector 44C, and a floor harness connector 44D. However, it is not necessary to provide all of the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D as the multiple types of harness connectors 44; it is preferable to provide two or more types. Furthermore, when a roof harness 20E is assumed as the mating wire harness 20, a roof harness connector 44E is provided as one of the multiple types of harness connectors 44. For example, the roof harness connector 44E may be disposed higher in the vehicle than the device connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Wiring connected to the roof harness connector 44E may extend vertically along the side of the device 22.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the various connectors 40 are one connector. That is, the device connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are each one connector. In the present disclosure, two or more connectors are also considered to be one type of connector if they have the same connection destination. In other words, regardless of the number of connectors connected to the same device 22 or the same mating wire harness 20, they are considered to be one type of connector. From another perspective, each of the multiple types of connectors 40 consists of one or more connectors (hereinafter referred to as split connectors). Each connector may include connectors having the same structure. Here, even if connectors have the same structure, they are considered to be different types of connectors if they have different connection destinations.

[0042] At least one of the multiple types of connectors 40 may have two or more divided connectors. For example, the connector 40 with the largest number of poles among the multiple types of connectors 40 (e.g., device connector 42) may have two or more divided connectors. This makes it easier to manufacture the connector 40 with the largest number of poles among the multiple types of connectors 40.

[0043] When the connector 40 includes a plurality of split connectors, it is preferable that the number of types of connectors 40 is four or more and that the number of split connectors is N or less, where N is the number of types of connectors 40 in the wire harness 30 minus two. This allows for a smaller number of pairs of connectors to be mated compared to when one type of connector 40 is connected to another type of connector 40. Specifically, here, the connectors 40 in the wire harness 30 are five types: an instrument connector 42, an engine room harness connector 44A, an instrument panel harness connector 44B, a door harness connector 44C, and a floor harness connector 44D. Therefore, when each of the instrument connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D includes a plurality of split connectors, it is preferable that the number of split connectors is three or less. For example, when four mating wire harnesses 20, i.e., an engine room harness 20A, an instrument panel harness 20B, a door harness 20C, and a floor harness 20D, are connected to the device 22, four sets of connectors must be mated. On the other hand, when the device connector 42 is made up of three or less divided connectors, the number of sets of connectors to be mated can be three or less.

[0044] The plurality of wirings 50 includes a through circuit wiring 52 and a plurality of device wirings 51. The through circuit wiring 52 connects the harness connectors 44 together. The device wiring 51 connects the device connectors 42 and the harness connectors 44.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 3, here, device wirings 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D are provided as the device wiring 51. The device wiring 51A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the device connector 42. The device wiring 51B connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the device connector 42. The device wiring 51C connects the door harness connector 44C and the device connector 42. The device wiring 51D connects the floor harness connector 44D and the device connector 42. Note that each of the device wirings 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D may be one or more.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3 , here, through circuit wirings 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E are provided as the through circuit wiring 52. The through circuit wiring 52A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the instrument panel harness connector 44B. The through circuit wiring 52B connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D. The through circuit wiring 52C connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the door harness connector 44C. The through circuit wiring 52D connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. The through circuit wiring 52E connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D. Note that each of the through circuit wirings 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E may be one or more.

[0047] Therefore, here, out of the ten paths between the five types of connectors 42, 44, the wiring 50 is provided in nine paths other than the one path between the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 4 , in the present disclosure, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include a first harness connector 44X and a second harness connector 44Y. The first harness connector 44X is connected to a first mating wire harness 20X. The second harness connector 44Y is connected to a second mating wire harness 20Y. The three types of connectors 42, 44, i.e., the device connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y, are connected to each other by wiring 50. Specifically, the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected to the device connector 42 by multiple device wirings 51. The device connector 42 and the first harness connector 44X are connected by first device wirings 51X. The device connector 42 and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by second device wirings 51Y. The first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by a through circuit wiring 52. We will now explain whether the four types of harness connectors 44, namely, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, qualify as the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0049] Six combinations are generated by selecting two of the four types of harness connectors 44, namely, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Of the six combinations, five combinations, excluding one combination consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, have through-circuit wiring 52 connecting the two types of harness connectors 44 of the combination. Furthermore, all of the four types of harness connectors 44, namely, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, are connected to the device connector 42 via device wiring 51. Therefore, of the six combinations, five combinations, excluding one combination consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, can be considered as combinations of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0050] On the other hand, here, the wire harness 30 does not have the through circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C. Therefore, here, the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C are not considered to be a combination of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0051] As the multiple types of harness connectors 44, three or more types of harness connectors 44 may be provided, and the wire harness 30 may have through circuit wiring 52 connecting the three or more types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Four combinations are generated by selecting three types from the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Of the four combinations, two combinations, excluding two combinations that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, have through circuit wiring 52 connecting the three types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Of the four combinations, two combinations, excluding two combinations that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, can be considered to be the three or more types of harness connectors 44.

[0052] Specifically, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to one another via through circuit wiring 52A, 52B, and 52D. Therefore, the combination of the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered to be the three or more types of harness connectors 44. Similarly, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to one another via through circuit wiring 52C, 52D, and 52E. Therefore, the combination of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered to be the three or more types of harness connectors 44.

[0053] However, a through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C may be provided in the wire harness 30. In this case, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to one another via the through-circuit wiring 52.

[0054] 5, some of the multiple wirings 50 are grouped together to form a first wiring group 54, and another portion of the multiple wirings 50 are grouped separately from the first wiring group 54 to form a second wiring group 60. Here, the multiple wirings 50 are grouped together by being fixed to base members 56, 62. However, the configuration for grouping the multiple wirings 50 is not limited to this and can be set as appropriate. For example, the multiple wirings 50 may be grouped together by being bound into a circular bundle with tape.

[0055] The method for dividing the plurality of wirings 50 into the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Here, the plurality of wirings 50 are divided based on the device wirings 51 and the through circuit wirings 52. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 54 are device wirings 51. The majority of the second wiring group 60 are through circuit wirings 52. Of the first wiring group 54, 60% or more may be device wirings 51, 70% or more may be device wirings 51, 80% or more may be device wirings 51, or 90% or more may be device wirings 51. Furthermore, all (100%) of the first wiring group 54 may be device wirings 51. Similarly, of the second wiring group 60, 60% or more may be device wirings 52, 70% or more may be device wirings 52, 80% or more may be device wirings 52, or 90% or more may be device wirings 52. Furthermore, all (100%) of the second wiring group 60 may be the through circuit wirings 52.

[0056] 5, all (100%) of the first wiring group 54 is device wiring 51. Furthermore, 90% or more of the second wiring group 60 is through circuit wiring 52. Of the device wiring 51, device wiring 51A connecting the engine room harness connector 44A and the device connector 42 is provided in the second wiring group 60. Of the device wiring 51, device wirings 51B, 51C, and 51D excluding device wiring 51A are provided in the first wiring group 54. All of the through circuit wiring 52 is provided in the second wiring group 60.

[0057] The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are each formed flat and stacked on top of each other. Here, the first wiring group 54 has a plurality of electric wires 55 and a flat base member 56 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 55 flat. Here, the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 are fixed. The electric wires 55 and the base member 56 do not have to be fixed. The second wiring group 60 has a plurality of electric wires 61 and a flat base member 62 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 61 flat. Here, the electric wires 61 and the base member 62 are fixed. The electric wires 61 and the base member 62 do not have to be fixed. Each of the electric wires 55, 61 is an insulated electric wire having a core wire and a coating layer that covers the core wire. The insulated electric wire may have an extrusion-molded coating layer. The insulated electric wire may be an enameled electric wire. Each of the base members 56, 62 may be a resin member, a metal member, or a composite member having both a resin portion and a metal portion. The following description focuses on the relationship between the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 in the first wiring group 54. The relationship between the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 in the first wiring group 54 can be applied to the relationship between the electric wires 61 and the base member 62 in the second wiring group 60, unless there is a contradiction.

[0058] The plurality of electric wires 55 are arranged side by side on the main surface of the base member 56. The electric wires 55 are fixed to the base member 56, thereby maintaining a parallel state. The manner in which the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 are fixed is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 may be fixed by fusion. In this case, resin contained in at least one of the coating of the electric wires 55 and the main surface of the base member 56 melts and adheres to the surface of the mating member to be fixed. Furthermore, for example, the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 may be attached with an adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0059] In the first wiring group 54, the electric wires 55 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 56. In the second wiring group 60, the electric wires 61 are also arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 62. This prevents the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 from becoming thicker, and prevents the wire harness 30 in which the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked from becoming thicker. However, at least one of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 may be provided with an intersection where the electric wires cross each other on the base member.

[0060] The base members 56, 62 are flexible sheet members 56, 62. The sheet members 56, 62 may be sheets containing a fibrous material such as nonwoven fabric. The sheet members 56, 62 may also be sheets having a solid cross section. The sheet members 56, 62 have flexibility that allows them to follow the bending of the electric wires 55, 61.

[0061] Here, a portion of the wire harness 30 is arranged along the dash panel 11. The wiring portion extending from the engine room harness connector 44A is held so as to be arranged along the dash panel 11.

[0062] Another part of the wire harness 30 is arranged along the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are aligned in the height direction, and the wiring portions extending from the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are held so as to be arranged along the cowl side panel 15.

[0063] The wire harness 30 is arranged in a state in which the electric wires 61 and the sheet member 62 are bent in the thickness direction between a portion arranged along the dash panel 11 and a portion arranged along the cowl side panel 15. Here, the portion arranged along the dash panel 11 is only the second wiring group 60 out of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60. For this reason, the wire harness 30 is easily bent in the thickness direction between the portion arranged along the dash panel 11 and the portion arranged along the cowl side panel 15.

[0064] 6 , the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked so that the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wires 55 are fixed faces the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wires 61 are fixed. This allows the electric wires 55, 61 to be surrounded and protected by the base members 56, 62. Alternatively, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 may be stacked so that the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wires 55 are fixed faces the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wires 61 are not fixed, or so that the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wires 61 are fixed faces the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wires 55 are not fixed. Furthermore, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 may be stacked so that the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wires 55 are not fixed faces the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wires 61 are fixed.

[0065] The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked so that the electric wires 55 and the electric wires 61 overlap each other. The electric wires 55 and 61 are arranged in two layers, with one layer of the electric wires 55 overlapping another layer of the electric wires 61. Depending on the space available where the wire harness 30 is arranged, it may be desirable to reduce the width of at least a portion of the wire harness 30 even if this results in a slight increase in the thickness. In such a case, for example, the electric wires 55 and 61 may be arranged in three or more layers. Alternatively, for example, the base members 56 and 62 may not be provided, and the electric wires 55 and 61 may be bundled together with a bundling member such as tape so as to have a circular cross section.

[0066] The base member 56 has extension pieces 56a. The extension pieces 56a are provided on both sides of the portion where the electric wires 55 are arranged. The base member 62 also has similar extension pieces 62a. The extension pieces 56a of the base member 56 and the extension pieces 62a of the base member 62 are fixed to each other, thereby fixing the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60. However, the extension pieces 56a of the base member 56 and the extension pieces 62a of the base member 62 do not have to be fixed to each other.

[0067] The connector 40 may be held by the base members 56, 62. The electrical wires 55, 61 may extend from the ends of the base members 56, 62, and the connector 40 may be provided separately from the base members 56, 62.

[0068] The length of each of the multiple wirings 50 is within one meter. In the wire harness 30, the longest wiring 50 is the through circuit wiring 52B that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D, or the through circuit wiring 52C that connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. The lengths of these through circuit wirings 52B and 52C are within one meter.

[0069] <Effects, etc.> According to the wire harness 30 configured as described above, the wire harness 30 of the present disclosure includes, as the multiple wirings 50, multiple device wirings 51 that respectively connect the device connector 42 and the multiple types of harness connectors 44, and through circuit wiring 52 that connects the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y among the multiple types of harness connectors 44, thereby making it easy to connect the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other and to connect the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the device 22.

[0070] Furthermore, some of the multiple wirings 50 are grouped together to form a first wiring group 54, and another part of the multiple wirings 50 is grouped separately from the first wiring group 54 to form a second wiring group 60. This allows the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 to be manufactured separately and then combined later to form the wire harness 30.

[0071] Furthermore, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are each formed flat and stacked on top of each other, which makes it easier to arrange the wire harness 30 in a narrow space in the vehicle 10.

[0072] Furthermore, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 each have a plurality of electric wires 55, 61 and flat base members 56, 62 that keep the plurality of electric wires 55, 61 flat. This allows the flat first wiring group 54 and second wiring group 60 to be easily provided.

[0073] Moreover, the majority of the first wiring group 54 is a plurality of device wirings 51, and the majority of the second wiring group 60 is through circuit wirings 52. This allows most of the device wirings 51 to be separated from most of the through circuit wirings 52. Furthermore, the device wirings 51 and the through circuit wirings 52 are prevented from crossing each other on the base members 56, 62 to which they are fixed. This prevents the thickness of each of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 from increasing.

[0074] Three or more types of harness connectors 44 are provided as the multiple types of harness connectors 44. This allows the wire harness 30 to connect three or more types of mating wire harnesses 20 and devices 22.

[0075] Furthermore, the length of each of the plurality of wires 50 is within one meter. This allows the wire harness 30 to connect the device 22 and the mating wire harness 20 in a small area in the vehicle 10.

[0076] The arrangement area in the vehicle 10 is an area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect, and two or more types of connectors 44 for multiple harnesses are provided from among an engine room harness connector 44A, an instrument panel harness connector 44B, a door harness connector 44C, and a floor harness connector 44D. This simplifies the work of connecting the multiple types of connectors 40 in the narrow area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect in the vehicle 10.

[0077] Furthermore, the wiring portion extending from the engine room harness connector 44A is held so as to be arranged along the dash panel 11, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are aligned in the height direction, and the wiring portions extending from each of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are held so as to be arranged along the cowl side panel 15. This allows each of the instrument panel harness 20B, the engine room harness 20A, the door harness 20C, and the floor harness 20D to be connected to the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, respectively, at a position close to its own arrangement area.

[0078] [Note] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness 130 according to a first modified example. Fig. 8 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness 130 according to a first modified example.

[0079] The wire harness 130 according to the first modified example differs from the wire harness 30 in that it further includes a rigid member 70. The rigid member 70 has higher rigidity than the sheet members 56, 62. The rigid member 70 maintains the wiring configuration of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60. As a result, by disposing the rigid member 70 in the vehicle 10, the wiring 50 can be disposed along a predetermined path. The rigid member 70 may be formed of, for example, metal or hard resin.

[0080] The location where the rigid member 70 is provided in the wire harness 30 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Here, the rigid member 70 is provided in a portion of the wire harness 130 that is disposed along the cowl side panel 15. The rigid member 70 is not provided in a portion of the wire harness 130 that is disposed along the dash panel 11.

[0081] The rigid member 70 is provided to cover the entire portion of the wire harness 130 that is disposed along the cowl side panel 15. The rigid member 70 may be provided to cover a portion of the portion of the wire harness 130 that is disposed along the cowl side panel 15. For example, the rigid member 70 may be provided to cover portions that are located upward in the vertical direction (here, the portion extending from the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the portion extending from the device connector 42).

[0082] The rigid member 70 may be disposed between the wire harness 130 and the cowl side panel 15. The wire harness 130 may be disposed between the rigid member 70 and the cowl side panel 15.

[0083] The shape of the rigid member 70 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Here, the rigid member 70 is trough-shaped and has a bottom 71 and side walls 72. The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are housed in a housing portion surrounded by the bottom 71 and the side walls 72. The rigid member 70 may have a lid that covers the opening of the housing portion. The rigid member 70 may have only the bottom 71 without the side walls 72.

[0084] The wire harness 30 may not include a flexible sheet member as a base member, but may include a rigid member 70 as a base member instead of a sheet member. A partition wall may be provided between a pair of side walls 72 in the rigid member 70. This provides a plurality of housing sections in the rigid member. In this case, a first housing section may house some of the plurality of wires as a first wiring group, and a second housing section may house other parts of the plurality of wires as a second wiring group. For example, the device wiring and the through circuit wiring may be housed separately in a plurality of housing sections. For example, the power supply lines and the signal lines may be housed separately in a plurality of housing sections.

[0085] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a wire harness 230 according to the second modified example.

[0086] In a wire harness 230 according to the second modification, the locations at which the base members 256, 262 are provided are different from the locations at which the base members 56, 62 are provided in the wire harness 30. Specifically, the plurality of base members 256, 262 are provided at intervals along the extension direction of the plurality of electric wires 55, 61 at corresponding locations of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60, respectively. More specifically, the base member 256 is separated into one end portion and the other end portion in the extension direction of the electric wires 55, and the separated portions are provided at intervals along the extension direction of the electric wires 55, sandwiching the corresponding locations therebetween. Furthermore, the base member 262 is separated into one end portion and the other end portion in the extension direction of the electric wires 61, and the separated portions are provided at intervals along the extension direction of the electric wires 61, sandwiching the corresponding locations therebetween. As a result, the plurality of electric wires 55, 61 are more easily bent in the portions between the plurality of base members 256, 262 than in the portions where the plurality of base members 256, 262 are provided, and are more easily able to absorb differences in routing or excess length, etc. This makes it easier for the common wire harness 230 to be applied to vehicles of different sizes.

[0087] Here, the section where the base members 256, 262 terminate in the middle along the extension direction of the wiring 50 is provided in a portion of the wire harness 230 that is disposed along the cowl side panel 15 and extends in the vertical direction. In this case, the wire harness 230 is likely to be applied to a plurality of types of vehicles having different height dimensions. In this case, the wire harness 230 is formed according to a vehicle with a large height. When the wire harness 230 is applied to a vehicle with a small height, the electric wires 55, 61 bend in the section where the base members 256, 262 terminate, and the excess length is absorbed. For example, the section where the base members 256, 262 terminate may be provided between the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D.

[0088] FIG. 10 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness 330 according to a third modified example.

[0089] In the wire harness 330 according to the third modification, the first wiring group 354 and the second wiring group 360 are separated in a manner different from the manner in which the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are separated in the wire harness 30. Here, the wirings 50 are separated into the first wiring group 354 and the second wiring group 360 based on whether they are signal lines 355 or power lines 361. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 354 are signal lines 355. Furthermore, the proportion of power lines 361 in the second wiring group 360 is higher than the proportion of power lines in the first wiring group 354. This makes it possible to separate most of the power lines 361 from most of the signal lines 355.

[0090] The proportion of power supply lines 361 in the second wiring group 360 is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately. For example, the proportion of power supply lines 361 in the second wiring group 360 may be 50% or more, or may be less than 50%. In other words, the majority of the second wiring group 360 may be power supply lines 361 or signal lines.

[0091] Furthermore, a majority of all power supply lines in the wire harness 330 may be arranged in the second wiring group 360. A majority of all signal lines in the wire harness 330 may be arranged in the first wiring group 354. The second wiring group 360 may or may not include signal lines. The first wiring group 354 may or may not include power supply lines.

[0092] 10 , of the wiring 50 connected to the door harness connector 44C and the wiring 50 connected to the floor harness connector 44D, a power line 361 is provided in the second wiring group 360, and a signal line 355 is provided in the first wiring group 354. The power line 361A in the second wiring group 360 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the device connector 42, respectively. The power line 361B in the second wiring group 360 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the other harness connectors 44, respectively. The signal line 355A in the first wiring group 354 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the device connector 42, respectively. The signal line 355B in the first wiring group 354 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the other harness connectors 44, respectively.

[0093] Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example. Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example.

[0094] In a wire harness 430 according to the fourth modification, the shape of a connector 46 is different from the shape of the connector 40 in the wire harness 30. Specifically, at least one type of connector 46 of the multiple types of connectors 40 is composed of multiple split connectors 47, 48. The multiple split connectors 47, 48 include a first split connector 47 and a second split connector 48. The wires 50 of the first wiring group 54 are connected to the first split connector 47. The wires of the second wiring group 60 are connected to the second split connector 48. This makes it less likely that one of the wires 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wires 50 of the second wiring group 60 is inserted into the connector 40 beforehand, and that the other of the wires 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wires 50 of the second wiring group 60 is inserted into the connector 40. This makes it easier to separately manufacture the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 and then assemble them into the wire harness 430.

[0095] Here, a first split connector 47 and a second split connector 48 are combined to form a stacked connector 46. Therefore, here, at least one type of connector 46 of the multiple types of connectors 40 is a stacked connector 46 made up of multiple split connectors 47, 48 combined with each other. The various types of connectors 40 may be divided in a manner other than a stacked connector 46. For example, the device connector 42 may be divided into multiple split connectors arranged in a direction intersecting the thickness direction. Two split connectors may be connected to the device 22 separately without being combined.

[0096] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness 530 according to a fifth modified example.

[0097] In a wire harness 530 according to the fifth modification, the stacking manner of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 is different from that of the wire harness 530 described above. In a portion where the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked, the wires 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wires 50 of the second wiring group 60 are shifted in the parallel direction so as not to be stacked on each other. This reduces the thickness of the wire harness 530 in which the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked, compared to a case where the wires 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wires 50 of the second wiring group 60 are stacked on each other. Furthermore, since the wires 50 are prevented from being multi-layered, the wire harness 530 is more likely to bend in the thickness direction. This stacking manner may be provided in a portion of the wire harness 530 or in the entire wire harness 530. For example, this stacking manner may be provided in a portion of the wire harness 530 extending from the door harness connector 44C.

[0098] Furthermore, although the multiple wirings 50 have been described as being organized into the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60, this is not a required configuration. The multiple wirings 50 may be grouped together without being organized into the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60.

[0099] At least some of the multiple types of connectors 40 may be standby connectors. For example, at least some of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 may be standby connectors. This makes it easier to connect a mating wire harness to the harness connector 44.

[0100] The area where the wire harness 30 is arranged may be an area close to a rear seat or a rear luggage compartment, etc. In this case, the mating wire harness 20 may be a floor harness, a seat harness, a rear harness, etc.

[0101] The configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually contradictory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 vehicles 11 Dash panel 12 Main body part 13 Overhang part 14 Through holes 15 Cowl side panel 16 through holes 17 Instrument panel reinforcement 18 Floor Panel 18a Rocker Club 19 A-pillar 20 Mating wire harness 20A engine room harness 20B Instrument panel harness 20C Door Harness 20D floor harness 20E roof harness 20X 1st mating wire harness 20Y Second mating wire harness 22 Equipment 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530 Wire harness 40 connectors 42 Equipment Connectors 44 Harness connector 44A Engine Room Harness Connector 44B Instrument panel harness connector 44C Door harness connector 44D Floor Harness Connector 44E Roof harness connector 44X 1st harness connector 44Y Second harness connector 46 Stacked Connector 47 First division connector 48 Second split connector 50 Wiring 51, 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D equipment wiring 51X First equipment wiring 51Y Second equipment wiring 52, 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, 52E Through circuit wiring 54, 354 1st wiring group 55 Electric wire 355, 355A, 355B signal line 56, 256 Base material (sheet material) 56a Extension piece 60, 360 2nd wiring group 61 Electric wire 361, 361A, 361B power wire 62, 262 Base member (seat member) 62a Extension piece 70 Rigid members 71 Bottom 72 Side wall

Claims

1. A plurality of types of connectors with different connection destinations, a plurality of wirings connecting the plurality of types of connectors; Equipped with the plurality of types of connectors include an equipment connector to be connected to a connector of an equipment, and a plurality of types of harness connectors to be connected to different connectors of mating wire harnesses, the plurality of wirings include through circuit wirings that connect a first harness connector and a second harness connector among the plurality of types of harness connectors, and a plurality of device wirings that connect the device connector to the first harness connector and the second harness connector, a part of the plurality of wirings is grouped together to form a first wiring group, and another part of the plurality of wirings is grouped together separately from the first wiring group to form a second wiring group, The wire harness, wherein the first wiring group and the second wiring group are each formed flat and stacked on top of each other.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1, The wire harness includes: a first wiring group and a second wiring group, each of which includes a plurality of electric wires and a flat base member that keeps the plurality of electric wires flat.

3. The wire harness according to claim 2, a plurality of the base members are provided at intervals along an extending direction of the plurality of electric wires at corresponding positions of the first wiring group and the second wiring group, respectively;

4. The wire harness according to claim 2 or 3, the base member is a flexible sheet member; a rigid member having higher rigidity than the sheet member and holding the wiring configuration of the first wiring group and the second wiring group; The rigid member is provided on a portion of the wiring extending from the plurality of types of connectors, and the wiring of the first wiring group and the wiring of the second wiring group are not connected in the portion where the rigid member is provided.

5. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a majority of the first wiring group is the device wiring, A wire harness, wherein a majority of the second wiring group is the through circuit wiring.

6. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A majority of the first wiring group are signal lines, a ratio of power supply lines in the second wiring group being higher than a ratio of power supply lines in the first wiring group;

7. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 6, At least one of the plurality of types of connectors comprises a plurality of split connectors, The plurality of split connectors of the wire harness include a first split connector to which the first group of wirings is connected and a second split connector to which the second group of wirings is connected.

8. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The wire harness may include three or more types of harness connectors as the plurality of types of harness connectors.

9. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The wire harness, wherein each of the plurality of wires has a length of one meter or less.

10. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The arrangement area in the vehicle is an area where the dash panel and the cowl side panel intersect, The wire harness is provided with the plurality of types of harness connectors including two or more types of connectors selected from the group consisting of an engine room harness connector, an instrument panel harness connector, a door harness connector, and a floor harness connector.

11. The wire harness according to claim 10, the plurality of types of harness connectors include the engine room harness connector, the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector; the wiring portions of the first wiring group and the second wiring group extending from the engine room harness connector are held so as to be arranged along the dash panel, a wire harness in which the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector are aligned in a height direction, and wiring portions of the first wiring group and the second wiring group extending from the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector, and the floor harness connector are held so as to be arranged along the cowl side panel.

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