Protector and wire harness with protector

Abstract

To provide a protector and a wire harness with the protector to protect branch wires of which tip is connected to a connector and confirm that the connector is attached to an attachment part.SOLUTION: A wire harness consists of a base 20 fixed to a vehicle body and a cover 30 assembled to the base 20, the wire harness 100 is inserted into an internal space 13 covered by the cover 30 in the base 20, a mounting part 16 for mounting the connector 3 connected to the tip of a branch wire 120 branched from the wire harness 100 is provided in an internal space 13, and a through window 18 that penetrated the internal space 13 and the outside is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting portion 16 in the base 20 and the cover 30 and a covering section 40 covering at least one part of the through window 18 so that the connector 3 is visible from the outside are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector through which a wire harness is inserted, and a protector-equipped wire harness in which the wire harness is inserted through the protector. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, wire harnesses that electrically connect electrical devices installed in a vehicle can be protected while regulating their routing by being inserted inside a protector to prevent them from interfering with other components along the wiring route.

[0003] In recent years, the number of wire harnesses installed in vehicles has increased along with the increase in the number of electrical devices installed in vehicles. In order to connect multiple branch wires branching from this wire harness, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a connector connected to the tip of the branch wire may be attached to an attachment portion provided outside the protector.

[0004] However, with the protector disclosed in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to visually confirm that the connector is attached to the attachment part, the branch wire is exposed to the outside of the protector, which means that there is a risk that the branch wire will interfere with other components and be damaged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-10438 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a protector and a wire harness with a protector that can protect a branch wire connected to a tip of a connector while enabling confirmation that the connector is attached to an attachment portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention is a protector that is composed of a base that is fixed to the vehicle body and a cover that is assembled to the base, and that allows a wire harness to be inserted into the interior of the base that is covered by the cover, and that has an attachment portion inside that attaches a connector connected to the end of a branch wire branched from the wire harness, and is characterized in that at a location on at least one of the base and the cover that corresponds to the attachment portion, there is provided a through window that penetrates between the interior and the exterior, and a covering portion that covers at least a portion of the through window so that the interior can be seen from the outside.

[0008] The present invention also provides a wire harness with a protector, which is composed of a protector consisting of a base fixed to a vehicle body and a cover assembled to the base, and a wire harness inserted into the interior of the base covered by the cover, wherein the wire harness has branch wires each having a connector connected to its tip branched off, and the protector has an attachment portion inside for attaching the connector, and at a location in at least one of the base and the cover corresponding to the attachment portion, a through window penetrating between the interior and the exterior, and a covering portion covering at least a portion of the through window so that the interior can be seen from the outside.

[0009] The covering portion is not limited to a specific configuration as long as it covers at least a portion of the through window so that the connection between the connector and the mounting portion can be visually confirmed, and includes, for example, a case where the covering portion covers the through window from the outside or from the inside. The covering portion may also include a configuration where the covering portion covers an end portion of the through window in a front view of the through window (viewing the through window from the outside toward the inside) or a configuration where the covering portion covers a central portion of the through window.

[0010] The mounting portion may be provided on either the base or the cover, or may straddle both sides. The "outside" refers to a region of the base that is not covered by the cover, and is an area outside the inside between the base and the cover. Furthermore, the protector is not limited to a configuration in which the cover is separably attached to the base, but may be a configuration in which the cover is integrally attached to the base via a hinge.

[0011] According to this invention, since the mounting portion is provided inside the cable, the branch wire with the connector connected to the end is not exposed to the outside, and the branch wire can be reliably protected by the protector and cover, thereby preventing the branch wire from interfering with other components mounted outside and being damaged.

[0012] In addition, by providing a through window at a location corresponding to the mounting portion, the connector attached to the mounting portion can be seen from the outside. Furthermore, since the covering portion covers at least a portion of the through window, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the interior through the through window, thereby preventing damage to the branch wires by foreign matter.

[0013] As an aspect of the present invention, the cover may be provided with the through window and the covering portion. According to this invention, in a configuration in which the cover is disposed on the surface side of the base and the base is mounted on a vehicle, the through window and the covering portion are provided in the cover as described above, so that the mounting portion can be easily seen from the outside when the base is mounted on the vehicle, and therefore the mounting of the connector to the mounting portion can be easily seen.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the covering portion may protrude toward the outside. According to this invention, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside through the through window from the outside, that is, it is possible to more reliably prevent foreign matter from entering the inside through the through window.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the through window may be provided with an inclined wall on the side of the uncovered portion that is not covered by the covering portion, which inclines toward the inside as it moves along the side toward the opposite side from the covered portion that is covered by the covering portion.

[0016] According to this invention, by erecting an inclined wall on the side of the uncovered area, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the interior from the side of the uncovered area through the through window. Furthermore, because the inclined wall slopes inward as it extends along the side toward the opposite side from the covered area covered by the covering section, the open portion of the covering section to the outside is not shaded by the inclined wall. Therefore, while preventing the intrusion of foreign matter from the side of the uncovered area, the open portion of the covering section to the outside can be more reliably viewed through the through window.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, the tip of the inclined wall may extend beyond the through window. According to this invention, the inclined wall slopes inward as it extends along the side away from the covered portion, thereby reducing the height of the protrusion toward the outside, but as described above, the tip extends beyond the through window, so the inclined wall can be reliably erected facing outward even on the side of the uncovered portion of the through window, thereby more reliably preventing foreign matter from entering the interior from the side of the uncovered portion.

[0018] As another aspect of the present invention, a rib may be provided around the through window, extending along the peripheral edge of the through window and projecting inward. According to this invention, the rigidity of the peripheral edge portion of the through window, which is reduced by providing the through window, can be improved by the rib.

[0019] Furthermore, when the cover is attached to the base, the connector attached to the mounting portion can be held down by the ribs, preventing the connector from unintentionally detaching from the mounting portion even when an external force such as vibration is applied.

[0020] In a further aspect of the present invention, the covering portion may be provided so as to cover the through window from above when the base is fixed to the vehicle body. According to this invention, since the covering portion covers the through window from above, if the foreign matter is a liquid such as water, the liquid flowing down from above can be prevented from entering the interior through the upper end of the through window, thereby preventing the tip of the branch wire connected to the connector from becoming wet and causing electrolytic corrosion.

[0021] Furthermore, when the inclined wall is erected facing outward, including not only the side of the covered portion of the through window but also the side of the uncovered portion, the liquid flowing down from the side of the covered portion of the through window to the side of the uncovered portion is guided along the inclined wall below the through window, thereby more reliably preventing the liquid from entering the interior through the through window.

[0022] As another aspect of the present invention, the main portion of the covering portion may be provided so as to be parallel to the outer surface of the cover or the base around the through window, or so as to protrude outward as it approaches the bottom.

[0023] According to this invention, the opening of the covering portion to the outside opens downward, but does not become smaller as it goes downward. Therefore, the covering portion has a shape that is more open toward the opening, and as a result, the attachment of the connector to the attachment portion can be more reliably seen through the through window.

[0024] Furthermore, since the covering portion is provided parallel to the outer surface in the vertical direction or protrudes outward as it moves downward relative to the outer surface, liquid such as water flowing down from above is not guided into the interior, thereby reliably preventing liquid from entering the interior through the through window.

[0025] As another aspect of the present invention, the mounting portion may be configured so that a plurality of the connectors can be arranged in parallel, and the through window may be formed along the direction in which the connectors are arranged in parallel. According to this invention, it is possible to easily visually confirm through the through window whether a plurality of connectors arranged in parallel are attached to the attachment portion.

[0026] In another aspect of the present invention, the wire harness may include the branch wire and a main wire from which the branch wire branches, and when viewed from the direction of penetration of the through window, the mounting portion may be provided at a position that is off the insertion path of the main wire that is inserted into the interior. According to this invention, the mounting portion can be prevented from being shaded by the main cable, so that the mounting portion can be reliably visually confirmed to be attached to the connector.

[0027] As another aspect of the present invention, the base may have a curved portion that guides the trunk line inserted through the interior thereof so as to curve, and the mounting portion may be provided on the curved portion. According to this invention, the mounting portion is provided on the curved portion, so that the curved portion can be effectively utilized while preventing the mounting portion from being shaded by the main line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a protector and a wire harness with a protector that can protect a branch wire connected to a connector at its tip while enabling confirmation that the connector is attached to an attachment portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a protector in a wire harness with a protector according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a cover side; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1 with the cover removed and the wire harness shown in phantom lines. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an external view showing the configuration of a portion corresponding to an internal space in the curved portion of the base. [Figure 4] 1A is an enlarged perspective view of the upper through-window of the cover as viewed from below and one side in the width direction, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of the upper through-window of the cover as viewed from above and the other side in the width direction. [Figure 5]FIG. 1A is an enlarged perspective view of the base through-window as viewed from below and one side in the width direction, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of the base through-window as viewed from above and one side in the width direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the upper through-window of the cover as viewed from the rear surface side of the cover. [Figure 7] (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 4(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 4(a). [Figure 8] (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Figure 4(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 4(a). [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view along line E-E in Figure 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, arrow Z indicates the vertical direction of the vehicle, arrow W indicates the width direction of the vehicle, and arrow Y indicates a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and width direction W, i.e., the thickness direction of the protector 10. Furthermore, in the drawings, arrow Za indicates the upward direction, arrow Zb indicates the downward direction, arrow Wa indicates one side in the vehicle width direction, arrow Wb indicates the other side in the vehicle width direction, arrow Ya indicates one side in the thickness direction, and arrow Yb indicates the other side in the thickness direction.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protector-equipped wire harness 1 of this embodiment includes a wire harness 100 and a protector 10 that protects the wire harness 100, and is configured by externally covering the wire harness 100 with the protector 10.

[0032] The wire harness 100 is made up of a plurality of electric wires, which are bound at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction with a fixing tape 2 or the like. Furthermore, each end of the electric wires in the longitudinal direction of the wire harness 100 is electrically connected to various electric devices and a power source (battery) mounted on the vehicle through a connector (not shown), and the wire harness 100 is routed along a predetermined routing path in the vehicle.

[0033] 2 and 3, the wire harness 100 has a main harness 110 as a trunk line made up of a plurality of electric wires, and sub-harnesses 120 (see FIG. 2) as branch lines branching from the main harness 110 and having a smaller diameter than the main harness 110. The sub-harness 120 includes at least one electric wire, and in this embodiment, the sub-harness 120 is made up of a plurality of electric wires. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates only the main harness 110 of the wire harness 100, and does not illustrate the sub-harness 120.

[0034] The protector 10 is composed of a base 20 that is fixed to the vehicle body, and a cover 30 that is attached to the base 20, both of which are formed by resin molding.

[0035] The base 20 is provided with a plurality of vehicle body mounting portions 11, 12, and is attached to the vehicle body in the up-down direction Z at the vehicle body mounting portions 11, 12 by fixing means such as bolts or fasteners (not shown).

[0036] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, one end 10a of the wiring path 14 (see Figure 2) of the wire harness 100 (main harness 110) in the base 20 is provided with a one-side vehicle body mounting portion 11 that protrudes upward in the upward direction Za relative to the wiring path 14 (see Figure 2), and the other end 10b of the wiring path 14 in the base 20 is provided with a other-side vehicle body mounting portion 12 that protrudes toward one widthwise side Wa relative to the wiring path 14 (see Figure 2). In addition, a through hole 11a for inserting a bolt is formed in the thickness direction Y in the one side vehicle body mounting portion 11, and a through hole 12a for inserting a fastener is formed in the thickness direction Y in the other side vehicle body mounting portion 12.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the base 20 has a plate-shaped bottom portion 21 and a pair of base side walls 22, both of which are formed along the wiring path 14. 3, the pair of base side walls 22 protrude from both outer sides of the bottom 21 formed along the wiring path 14 toward one side Ya in the thickness direction when viewed from the front. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of base side engaging portions 23 are arranged along the wiring path 14 on the pair of base side walls 22 of the base 20.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, the cover 30 has a plate-shaped top plate portion 31 and a pair of cover side wall portions 32, both of which are formed along the wiring path 14 (see Fig. 2). The pair of cover side wall portions 32 protrude from both outer edges of the top plate portion 31, which extends along the wiring path 14 in a front view, to the other side Yb in the thickness direction. A plurality of cover-side engaging portions 33 corresponding to the base-side engaging portions 23 are arranged on the pair of cover side wall portions 32 of the cover 30 along the wiring path 14.

[0039] When the cover 30 is placed on the base 20 so as to cover the wiring path 14, the base-side engaging portions 23 and the cover-side engaging portions 33 are engaged with each other.

[0040] When the cover 30 of the protector 10 is assembled to the base 20, the top plate portion 31 faces the bottom portion 21 across the wiring path 14 in the thickness direction Y, and each of the pair of cover side wall portions 32 faces the corresponding base side wall portion 22 from the opposite side of the wiring path 14 with almost no gap between them (see Figures 7(a)(b), Figures 8(a)(b), and Figure 9).

[0041] In the protector 10, when the cover 30 is assembled to the base 20, an internal space 13 is defined between the base 20 and the cover 30, as shown in, for example, FIGS.

[0042] The internal space 13 is provided with a harness insertion space 13c extending along a wiring path 14 of the main harness 110. As shown in Fig. 2, both ends 10a, 10b of the harness insertion space 13c in the protector 10 are open to the outside. When the protector 10 is installed, the wire harness 100 (strictly speaking, the main harness 110) is inserted into the harness insertion space 13c and led out from both ends 10a, 10b of the harness insertion space 13c in the protector 10 to the outside.

[0043] 1 and 2, the protector 10 has a curved portion 15 that guides the wire harness 100 (strictly speaking, the main harness 110) to be curved in the middle of the harness insertion space 13c in the base 20 and the cover 30. In this embodiment, by providing the curved portion 15 and the like in the middle of the harness insertion space 13c, the protector 10 is curved so that one end 10a and the other end 10b in the harness insertion space 13c form an angle of about 120 degrees when viewed from the front.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the protector 10 has, at the curved portion 15, an outer curved portion protrusion 15a that protrudes upward Za and toward the other widthwise side Wb (radially outward) relative to the harness insertion space 13c (see Figures 2 and 3), and an inner curved portion protrusion 15b that protrudes downward Zb and toward one widthwise side Wa (radially inward).

[0045] 1 and 2, the curved portion outer protrusion 15a includes a curved portion outer protrusion 15a2 on the base 20 side and a curved portion outer protrusion 15a3 on the cover 30 side. These curved portion outer protrusions 15a2, 15a3 are formed so as to overlap with each other over substantially the entire area in a front view.

[0046] 1, the curved portion inner protrusion 15b includes a curved portion inner protrusion 15b2 on the base 20 side and a curved portion inner protrusion 15b3 on the cover 30 side. The curved portion inner protrusion 15b2 on the base 20 side protrudes further downward Zb and toward one widthwise side Wa than the curved portion inner protrusion 15b3 on the cover 30 side. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base of the curved portion inner protrusion 15b2 on the base 20 side and the curved portion inner protrusion 15b3 on the cover 30 side are formed to overlap in a front view.

[0047] As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the internal space 13 extends along the wiring path 14, but at the curved portion 15, it is configured to be expanded in the upward direction Za and in the other width direction Wb relative to the harness insertion space 13c up to almost the entire curved portion outer protrusion 15a, and to be expanded in the downward direction Zb and in the one width direction Wa up to the base of the curved portion inner protrusion 15b.

[0048] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, within the internal space 13, the space that expands upward Za and toward the other widthwise side Wb relative to the harness insertion space 13c is set as the curved portion outer space 13a, and the space that expands downward Zb and toward one widthwise side Wa relative to the harness insertion space 13c is set as the curved portion inner space 13b. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the curved portion inner protrusion 15b2 of the base 20 and the other-side vehicle body mounting portion 12 are integrally formed so as to be continuous with each other along the harness insertion space 13c.

[0049] Also, as shown in Figure 2, when the wire harness 100 is inserted into the harness insertion space 13c in the internal space 13 of the protector 10, multiple sub-harnesses 120 branch off from the main harness 110 at a location corresponding to the curved portion 15.

[0050] Each of these multiple sub-harnesses 120 has a connector 3 connected to its tip, and is routed to either side of the curved portion outer space 13a or the curved portion inner space 13b according to the branching point from the main harness 110. In this embodiment, four sub-harnesses 120 are routed on each side of the curved portion outer space 13a and the curved portion inner space 13b.

[0051] Mounting portions 16 for mounting the connector 3 are provided in the base 20 at locations corresponding to the curved portion outer space 13a and the curved portion inner space 13b. That is, the mounting portions 16 are provided in the internal space 13 at positions separated from the harness insertion space 13c in a front view.

[0052] The mounting portions 16 are provided in the outer space 13a of the curved portion and the inner space 13b of the curved portion in the base 20, four of which correspond to the number of connectors 3 of the sub-harness 120, and are arranged in multiple numbers along the parallel direction of the connectors 3, i.e., the width direction W, so that multiple connectors 3 can be arranged in parallel.

[0053] 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the four mounting portions 16 provided in the curved portion inner space 13b constitute two pairs of mounting portions 17 (17u, 17d) arranged in parallel along the width direction W. These two pairs of mounting portions 17 are arranged spaced apart from each other on the upper and lower sides.

[0054] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the four mounting portions 16 provided in the curved portion outer space 13a also form two pairs of mounting portions 17 (17a, 17b) (however, Figure 3 only shows the mounting portion pair 17a on one side Wa in the width direction).

[0055] These two pairs of mounting portions 17 are arranged substantially adjacent to each other in the parallel direction (width direction), so that the four mounting portions 16 provided in the curved portion outer space 13a are arranged substantially parallel to each other along the width direction.

[0056] 1, 4(a), 5(a), and 6, through-windows 18 that penetrate between the internal space 13 and the outside are provided in the base 20 and the cover 30 at locations corresponding to the mounting portion pair 17 in a front view (see FIG. 2). The through-windows 18 include a cover through-window 38 (see FIGS. 1, 4(a), and 6) provided on the cover 30 side, and a base through-window 28 (see FIG. 5(a)) provided on the base 20 side.

[0057] A covering portion 40 is provided near each of the cover through window 38 and the base through window 28, and covers at least a part of the through window 18 while allowing the connector 3 attached to the attachment portion 16 to be visible from the outside. The covering portion 40 will be described later.

[0058] 1, the cover through window 38 includes an upper cover through window 38u corresponding to the upper mounting portion pair 17u (see FIG. 2) in a front view, and a lower cover through window 38d corresponding to the lower mounting portion pair 17d (see FIG. 2). These two cover through windows 38u, 38d are provided independently of each other in the cover 30.

[0059] Next, the configuration of the cover through window 38 will be described. However, since the cover upper through window 38u and the cover lower through window 38d have the same configuration, the description will be based on the configuration of the cover upper through window 38u. As shown in Figures 4(a)(b), 7(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), the peripheral portion of the cover upper through window 38u on the outer surface of the cover 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "peripheral outer surface") extends along the vertical direction Z and the width direction W, and the covering portion 40 is formed in a eave-like shape, protruding from the peripheral outer surface of the cover upper through window 38u to one side Ya in the thickness direction.

[0060] Note that Fig. 7(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 4(a) or Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 7(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 4(a) or Fig. 8(a). Fig. 8(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Fig. 4(a) or Fig. 7(a), and Fig. 8(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Fig. 4(a) or Fig. 7(a).

[0061] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4(a)(b), 7(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), the covering portion 40 is integrally formed of an upper wall portion 41 (see Figures 4(b) and 8(a)(b)) that protrudes mainly toward one side Ya in the thickness direction from the upper edge of the cover upper through window 38u, a main wall portion 42 that extends mainly downward Zb from the lower end of the upper wall portion 41 and forms the main part of the cover upper through window 38u, and a pair of side wall portions 43 (see Figures 4(a)(b), 7(a)(b), and 8(b)) that protrude mainly toward one side Ya in the thickness direction from the side portions of the cover upper through window 38u, i.e., from the side edges on both sides in the width direction W.

[0062] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 8(a) and 8(b), the upper wall portion 41 is formed along the width direction along the entire upper edge of the cover upper through window 38u and is formed so as to gradually protrude downward toward one side Ya in the thickness direction. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), 7(a) and 7(b), and 8(a) and 8(b), the main wall portion 42 extends along the up-down direction Z and the width direction W parallel to the outer surface of the periphery of the cover upper through window 38u so as to face the cover upper through window 38u from one side Ya in the thickness direction. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 8(a), the main wall portion 42 extends downward Zb until its lower end is located just before the lower part of the cover upper through window 38u.

[0063] 4(a)(b), 7(a)(b), and 8(b), the pair of side wall portions 43 are provided so as to extend from both outer sides in the width direction W relative to the cover upper through window 38u toward one thickness direction side Ya. The pair of side wall portions 43 have upper ends formed integrally with corresponding ends of the upper wall portion 41 in the width direction W, and extend in the downward direction Zb along the side edges of the cover upper through window 38u. Furthermore, the pair of side wall portions 43 have ends on one thickness direction side Ya formed integrally with corresponding ends of the main wall portion 42 in the width direction W.

[0064] As shown in Figures 4(a), 7(b), and 8(a), the covering portion 40 has an opening portion 44 that is open in the downward direction Zb, and is formed by the above-mentioned upper wall portion 41, main wall portion 42, and a pair of side wall portions 43.

[0065] As described above, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 8(a), the entire cover upper through window 38u except for the lower part is covered by the covering portion 40 in a front view. That is, the cover upper through window 38u has a covered portion 45u that is covered by the covering portion 40 in a front view, and an uncovered portion 45d that corresponds to the lower part that is not covered by the covering portion 40. Therefore, when the cover 30 is attached to the base 20, even in a state where the cover upper through window 38u is covered by the covering portion 40 provided on the covered portion 45u, the pair of connectors 3 attached to the upper mounting portion pair 17u in the internal space 13 can be seen from the outside through the lower part as the uncovered portion 45d.

[0066] However, as shown in Figures 4(a)(b) and 8(a)(b), the above-mentioned pair of side wall portions 43 are formed not only in the covered portion 45u but also in the uncovered portion 45d in the vertical direction Z of the cover upper through window 38u.

[0067] Specifically, the pair of side wall portions 43 are integrally formed by a side wall portion main body 46 formed at the covered portion 45u in the vertical direction Z of the cover upper through window 38u and an inclined wall 47 formed at the uncovered portion 45d.

[0068] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 8(a), the inclined wall 47 extends downward Zb from the lower end of the side wall main body 46, and is formed so that the lower end of the inclined wall 47 is positioned downward Zb below the lower edge 38ud of the cover upper through window 38u.

[0069] That is, the inclined wall 47 extends further downward Zb from the lower end of the side wall main body 46 beyond the lower edge 38ud of the cover upper through window 38u. As a result, the inclined wall 47 is configured to laterally cover the uncovered portion 45d of the cover upper through window 38u, including the lower edge 38ud of the cover upper through window 38u.

[0070] The inclined wall 47 is inclined toward the internal space 13 as it extends downward in the Zb direction from the lower end of the side wall portion main body 46. That is, the inclined wall 47 is formed such that the protruding height in the one-side Ya direction of the thickness gradually decreases from the lower end of the side wall portion main body 46 downward. Thereby, the pair of side wall portions 43 are configured to easily visually recognize the internal space 13 through the uncovered portion 45d of the cover upper through window 38u while including the inclined wall 47.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 6, 7(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), ribs 51 that protrude from the inner surface (back surface) of the cover 30 toward the other side Yb in the thickness direction, that is, toward the internal space 13, are provided around the cover upper through window 38u on the inner surface of the cover 30.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the cover 30 is assembled to the base 20, in addition to being formed along the peripheral edge of the cover upper through window 38u as described above, the rib 51 is formed along the peripheral edges of the pair of connectors 3 that are mounted on the lower mounting portion pair 17d in a front view.

[0073] The rib 51 of the present embodiment includes an upper edge rib 52, a lower edge rib 53, a pair of side edge ribs 54, and an intermediate rib 55 (that is, these ribs 51 are formed in a “day” character shape in a front view by the upper edge rib 52, the lower edge rib 53, the pair of side edge ribs 54, and the intermediate rib 55).

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7(a)(b), both the upper edge rib 52 and the lower edge rib 53 extend linearly along the width direction W so as to straddle the pair of connectors 3 and extend in parallel while being spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the upper edge rib 52 extends along the upper edge at a portion corresponding to each upper edge of the pair of connectors 3 in a front view. The lower edge rib 53 extends along the lower edge at a portion corresponding to each lower edge of the pair of connectors 3 in a front view. As shown also in FIGS. 6 and 8(a), the lower edge rib 53 extends along the lower edge 38ud at the lower peripheral portion of the cover upper through window 38u below the lower edge 38ud.

[0075] The pair of side edge ribs 54 extend linearly in the up-down direction Z and extend parallel to each other in the width direction W while being spaced apart from each other. Specifically, as shown in Figures 6 and 7(a)(b), of the pair of side edge ribs 54, the side edge rib 54 on one widthwise side Wa extends along the side edge on one widthwise side Wa at a location corresponding to the side edge on one widthwise side Wa of the pair of connectors 3 when viewed from the front.

[0076] Of the pair of side edge ribs 54, the side edge rib 54 on the other widthwise side Wb extends along the side edge on the other widthwise side Wb at a position that corresponds in a front view to the side edge on the other widthwise side Wb of the pair of connectors 3. The pair of side edge ribs 54 extend, below the intermediate portion in the up-down direction Z, along the side edges that correspond to the respective cover upper through-windows 38u.

[0077] As shown in Figures 6 and 8(a), the intermediate rib 55 extends linearly along the width direction W so as to connect the middle portions of the pair of side edge ribs 54 in the vertical direction Z to each other, and extends along the upper edge of the cover upper through window 38u at a position corresponding to the upper edge of the cover upper through window 38u when viewed from the front.

[0078] As shown in Figures 6, 7(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), when the cover 30 is attached to the base 20, the above-mentioned upper edge rib 52, lower edge rib 53, pair of side edge ribs 54, and intermediate rib 55 all protrude at a height such that their ends on the other thickness-wise side Yb abut against the end faces on one thickness-wise side Ya of the pair of connectors 3 attached to the lower attachment portion pair 17d.

[0079] As a result, as shown in the figure, when the cover 30 is attached to the base 20, the rib 51 can abut against the pair of connectors 3 attached to the lower attachment portion pair 17d from one side Ya in the thickness direction. Therefore, the rib 51 can hold the connectors 3 attached to the attachment portions 16 so that they do not slip out to one side Ya in the thickness direction.

[0080] 6, the lower portions of the pair of side edge ribs 54, the lower edge rib 53, and the intermediate rib 55 of the rib 51 are formed in a rectangular shape along the periphery of the cover upper through window 38u so as to surround the cover upper through window 38u in a front view, thereby reinforcing the periphery of the cover upper through window 38u, which has been weakened by the formation of the cover upper through window 38u.

[0081] In particular, the lower portions of the pair of side edge ribs 54 of the rib 51 are formed at locations that coincide with the corresponding side wall portions 43 on each side of the width direction W of the covering portion 40 in a front view. That is, the side edge ribs 54 and the side wall portions 43 are integrally formed along the side edges of the cover upper through window 38u in the thickness direction Y. As a result, the side edges of the cover upper through window 38u are effectively reinforced by the side edge ribs 54 and the side wall portions 43.

[0082] Similarly, the intermediate rib 55 of the rib 51 is formed at a location that coincides with the upper wall portion 4 of the covering portion 40 in a front view. That is, the intermediate rib 55 and the upper wall portion 41 are integrally formed along the upper edge of the cover upper through window 38u in the thickness direction Y. As a result, the upper edge of the cover upper through window 38u is effectively reinforced by the intermediate rib 55 and the upper wall portion 41.

[0083] Next, the configuration of the base through window 28 and its surrounding area will be briefly described, focusing on the configuration that differs from the cover upper through window 38u and its surrounding area. However, the same components as those of the cover upper through window 38u will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0084] 5(a) and 9, the base through window 28 is provided at a position corresponding in front view to the mounting portion 16 provided on the curved portion outer space 13a (see FIG. 2) side of the base 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, the base through window 28 is integrally formed across each boundary portion of the four mounting portions 16 so as to be continuous along the parallel direction of the four mounting portions 16, in correspondence with the four mounting portions 16 being arranged substantially in parallel.

[0085] In other words, as shown in Figure 9, the base through window 28 is arranged integrally so that, of the two sets of mounting portion pairs 17 arranged approximately parallel to each other along the width direction W, the base one-side through window 28a corresponding to the mounting portion pair 17a on one width side Wa and the base other-side through window 28b corresponding to the mounting portion pair 17b on the other width side Wb are adjacent to each other along the parallel direction.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 9, the covering portion 40 of the base through window 28 is formed in a canopy shape, protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the base through window 28 toward the other thickness direction side Yb.

[0087] 3 and 9, as described above, the mounting portion 16 provided in the curved portion outer space 13a of the base 20 protrudes in a rib-like manner toward one thickness direction side Ya around the base through window 28 on the inner surface (back surface) of the base 20. Therefore, the mounting portion 16 provided in the curved portion outer space 13a of the base 20 also functions as a rib that reinforces the periphery of the base through window 28.

[0088] 5(a) and 9, the lower portion of the base through window 28 is also formed as an uncoated portion 45d. However, the base one-side through window 28a and the base other-side through window 28b of the base through window 28 are both formed with partitions 16a, 16b that separate the uncoated portion 45d in the width direction.

[0089] The partitions 16a, 16b are both formed to connect the lower end of the main wall portion 42 of the covering portion 40 and the lower edge of the one-base-side through window 28a in the up-down direction Z. As a result, the partition 16a is formed to divide the one-base-side through window 28a in the width direction at a middle position in the width direction W of the one-base-side through window 28a, and the partition 16b is formed to divide the other-base-side through window 28b in the width direction at a middle position in the width direction W of the other-base-side through window 28b.

[0090] The partition portion 16a is formed as part of the mounting portion 16 constituting the mounting portion pair 17a on one widthwise side Wa provided in the curved portion outer space 13a in the base 20, and the partition portion 16b is formed as part of the mounting portion 16 constituting the mounting portion pair 17b on the other widthwise side Wb provided in the curved portion outer space 13a in the base 20.

[0091] 1 and 2, the protector 10 provided in the protector-equipped wire harness 1 of the above-described embodiment is composed of a base 20 fixed to a vehicle body and a cover 30 assembled to the base 20, and is configured so that the wire harness 100 is inserted into an internal space 13 (see FIG. 2) in the base 20 covered by the cover 30. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the internal space 13 has an attachment portion 16 for attaching a connector 3 connected to the tip of a sub-harness 120 as a branch wire branched from the wire harness 100. Therefore, the sub-harness 120 having the connector 3 connected to the tip thereof is not exposed to the outside, and the sub-harness 120 can be reliably protected by the protector 10 and the cover 30. Therefore, the sub-harness 120 can be prevented from interfering with other components mounted externally in the vehicle and being damaged.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1, 4(a)(b), 5(a)(b), 6, 7(a)(b), 8(a), and 9, the protector 10 of this embodiment has a through window 18 that penetrates between the internal space 13 and the outside at a location in the base 20 and the cover 30 that corresponds to the mounting portion 16, so that the connector 3 mounted to the mounting portion 16 in the internal space 13 can be seen from the outside.

[0093] Furthermore, the protector 10 of this embodiment is provided with a covering portion 40 that covers at least a portion of the through window 18 around the periphery of the through window 18 so that the internal space 13 can be seen from the outside, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the internal space 13 through the through window 18. Therefore, damage to the sub-harness 120 by foreign matter can also be prevented.

[0094] 1 and 4(a) and (b), the through window 18 and the covering portion 40 are provided in the cover 30 that is disposed on the surface side of the base 20 when the base 20 is mounted on the vehicle, so that the mounting portion 16 can be easily seen from the outside when the base 20 is mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the connector 3 mounted on the mounting portion 16 can be easily seen.

[0095] 4(a)(b) and 5(a)(b), the covering portion 40 is provided to protrude outward, and therefore it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space 13 through the through window 18. In other words, it is possible to more reliably prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space 13 through the through window 18.

[0096] 4(a)(b) and 5(a)(b), by providing an inclined wall 47 facing outward on the side of the uncovered portion 45d in the through window 18 that is not covered by the covering portion 40, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space 13 from the side of the uncovered portion 45d through the through window 18. Furthermore, since the inclined wall 47 is inclined toward the internal space 13 as it extends downward in the Zb along the side, the opening 44 of the covering portion 40 facing outward is not shaded by the inclined wall 47, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 5(a). Therefore, the connector 3 in the internal space 13 can be more reliably viewed from the opening 44 of the covering portion 40 through the through window 18 while preventing foreign matter from entering from the side of the uncovered portion 45d.

[0097] 4(a)(b), 5(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), the inclined wall 47 extends downward Zb from the lower end of the side wall main body 46, and the lower end of the inclined wall 47 extends further downward Zb beyond the lower end of the through window 18. This allows the side wall 43 to be reliably erected facing outward not only to the covered portion 45u in the up-down direction Z of the through window 18 but also to the lower end of the uncovered portion 45d, even though the height of the protrusion toward the outside gradually decreases the further downward. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space 13 from the side of the uncovered portion 45d.

[0098] 6, 7(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), ribs 51 are provided around the cover through windows 38u, 38d, extending along the periphery of the cover through windows 38u, 38d and protruding toward the internal space 13. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 9, mounting portions 16 that function as ribs are provided around the base through window 28, extending along the periphery of the base through window 28 and protruding toward the internal space 13. These can improve the rigidity of the peripheral portion of the through window 18, which would otherwise be reduced by providing the through window 18.

[0099] Furthermore, when the cover 30 is attached to the base 20, the ribs 51 are brought into contact with the connector 3 as shown in Figures 7(a)(b), 8(a)(b), and 9, so that the connector 3 can be held in place by the ribs 51 so that it does not unintentionally come off from the mounting portion 16 when an external force such as vibration acts on the protector 10.

[0100] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1, 4(a)(b), and 5(a)(b), when the base 20 is fixed to the vehicle body, the covering portion 40 has an upper wall portion 41 and is arranged to cover the through window 18 from the upward direction Za, thereby preventing liquid such as water flowing down from the upward direction Za of the through window 18 from entering the internal space 13 from the upper end of the through window 18.

[0101] Furthermore, as described above, the side wall 43 is provided with the inclined wall 47 that extends in the downward direction Zb from the lower end of the side wall main body 46 beyond the lower end of the through window 18 (see FIGS. 4(a)(b) and 5(a)(b)), so that the liquid flowing down from the side of the covered portion 45u of the through window 18 to the side of the uncovered portion 45d can be guided along the inclined wall 47 in the downward direction Zb beyond the through window 18. Therefore, the liquid can be more reliably prevented from entering the internal space 13 at the uncovered portion 45d of the through window 18.

[0102] 4(a)(b), 5(a)(b), and 8(a), the main wall portion 42 of the covering portion 40, which faces the through window 18 in the thickness direction Y, is provided parallel to the outer peripheral surface of the through window 18 in the up-down direction for each of the cover 30 and the base 20. Therefore, the opening portion 44 of the covering portion 40 opens on the side opposite to the downward direction Zb in which the liquid flows down, i.e., in the downward direction Zb, but does not gradually become smaller in size in the downward direction Zb. Therefore, the covering portion 40 is more open toward the opening portion 44, and as a result, the attachment of the connector 3 to the attachment portion 16 can be more reliably seen through the through window 18.

[0103] Furthermore, the covering portion 40 has a main wall portion 42 that is provided parallel to the outer peripheral surface of the through window 18 in the vertical direction Z, and does not have a shape that slopes downwards toward the internal space 13, for example, so that liquid flowing down from the upward direction Za along the main wall portion 42 is not guided into the internal space 13. This makes it possible to reliably prevent liquid from entering the internal space 13 through the through window 18.

[0104] As shown in Figures 7(b) and 9, the mounting portion 16 is configured so that multiple connectors 3 can be arranged in parallel, and the through window 18 is formed along the parallel direction of the connectors 3, so that it is easy to see through the through window 18 that multiple connectors 3 arranged in parallel are attached to the mounting portion 16.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 2, the wire harness 100 includes a sub-harness 120 and a main harness 110 as a trunk line from which the sub-harness 120 branches off. The mounting portion 16 is located away from the harness insertion space 13c as an insertion path for the main harness 110 inserted into the internal space 13 when viewed from the front. This prevents the mounting portion 16 from being shaded by the main harness 110, and as a result, the attachment of the connector 3 to the mounting portion 16 can be reliably seen.

[0106] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the base 20 has a curved portion 15 that guides the main harness 110 inserted into the harness insertion space 13c to curve when viewed from the front, and the mounting portion 16 is provided in the curved portion 15, thereby making it possible to effectively utilize the space of the curved portion 15 while preventing the mounting portion 16 from being shaded by the main harness 110.

[0107] In the configuration of this invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment, the inside of the base covered by the cover corresponds to the internal space 13, and similarly The insertion path of the trunk line corresponds to the wiring path 14 of the main harness 110, in other words, the harness insertion space 13c. The main part of the covering part corresponds to the main wall part 42, The opposite side to the coated portion corresponds to the downward direction Zb, The tip of the inclined wall corresponds to the lower end of the inclined wall 47, The rib corresponds to the rib 51 or the mounting portion 16 provided in the curved portion outer space 13a of the base 20, The main line corresponds to the main harness 110, The branch wire corresponds to the sub-harness 120. "When viewed from the front" corresponds to "when viewed from the direction in which the through window passes through," but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0108] For example, the covering portion of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which it covers at least a portion of the through window 18 so that the connection between the connector 3 and the mounting portion 16 can be visually confirmed. The covering portion of the present invention may be configured to cover the entire through window 18 in a front view, for example, as long as the connection between the connector 3 and the mounting portion 16 can be visually confirmed through the through window 18 and the opening 44 that opens downward. Furthermore, the covering portion of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which it covers the through window 18 from the outside by protruding toward one thickness direction side Ya relative to the through window 18, as in the present embodiment, but may be configured to protrude toward the other thickness direction side Yb and cover the through window 18 from the side of the internal space 13, or to cover the through window 18 without protruding toward either side in the thickness direction Y relative to the through window 18.

[0109] Furthermore, the main part of the covering part of the present invention is not limited to being formed parallel to the outer surface around the through window 18 in the vertical direction in the cover 30 or the base 20, like the main wall part 42 of the covering part 40 of this embodiment, but may be configured so that the covering part 40 itself protrudes outward as it goes downward relative to the outer surface around the through window 18. Needless to say, the present invention does not exclude a configuration in which the main part of the covering part is configured so that the covering part 40 itself protrudes outward as it goes upward relative to the outer surface around the through window 18.

[0110] Furthermore, the inclined wall of the present invention is not limited to a linearly inclined shape like inclined wall 47 of the above-described embodiment, and may also include, for example, a curved or stepped shape, as long as the protruding height gradually decreases toward the side opposite covered portion 45u. Note that although covering portion 40 of the present embodiment is configured to include inclined wall 47, the inclined wall is not essential for the covering portion of the present invention, and the covering portion may be configured without an inclined wall.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 16 is provided on the base 20 side, and the through window 18 is provided on the base 20 side and the cover 30 side, but this configuration is not limited to this, and the mounting portion 16 and the through window 18 may each be provided on at least one of the base 20 side and the cover 30 side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1...Wire harness with protector 3...Connector 10...Protector 13...Interior space 13c...Harness insertion space 15...Bend 16...Attachment part 18...Through window 20...Bass 30...Cover 40... Covering part 42…Main wall part 45d...Uncoated area 45u...Coated area 47…Slanted wall 51...Rib 100...Wire harness 110...Main harness 120...Sub-harness

Claims

1. The protector is composed of a base fixed to a vehicle body and a cover assembled to the base, and a wire harness is inserted into the interior of the base covered by the cover. The protector has an attachment portion in the interior for attaching a connector connected to the tip of a branch wire branched from the wire harness. At least one of the base and the cover is provided with a through window that penetrates the interior and exterior at a location corresponding to the attachment portion, and a covering portion that covers at least a part of the through window so that the interior can be seen from the exterior. Protector.

2. The cover is provided with the through window and the covering portion. The protector according to claim 1 .

3. The covering portion protrudes toward the outside. The protector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The through window has a side portion of the uncovered portion that is not covered by the covering portion, and the side portion is provided with an inclined wall that inclines toward the inside as it goes along the side toward the opposite side to the covered portion that is covered by the covering portion. The protector according to claim 3 .

5. The tip of the inclined wall extends beyond the through window. The protector according to claim 4.

6. A rib extending along the periphery of the through window and protruding toward the inside is provided around the through window. The protector according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. In a fixed state in which the base is fixed to the vehicle body, the covering portion is provided so as to cover the through window from above. The protector according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

8. The main part of the covering part is provided so as to be parallel to the outer surface of the periphery of the through window in the cover or the base, or so as to protrude outward as it goes downward. The protector according to claim 7.

9. The mounting portion is configured so that a plurality of the connectors can be arranged in parallel, and the through window is formed along the direction in which the connectors are arranged. The protector according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The wire harness includes the branch wire and a trunk wire from which the branch wire branches, When viewed from the penetration direction of the through window, the mounting portion is provided at a position deviated from the insertion path of the main line inserted into the interior. The protector according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The base has a curved portion that guides the trunk line inserted into the interior so that the trunk line is curved, and the mounting portion is provided on the curved portion. The protector according to claim 10.

12. The protector is composed of a base fixed to the vehicle body and a cover assembled to the base, and a wire harness inserted into the interior of the base covered by the cover, the wire harness having branch wires connected to the ends of which are branched, the protector has an attachment part for attaching the connector inside, and at least one of the base and the cover has a through window penetrating the interior and exterior at a location corresponding to the attachment part, and a covering part covering at least a part of the through window so that the interior can be seen from the exterior. Wire harness with protector.

Images