Wire harness

Abstract

To protect a bent portion only by means of an exterior protection member.SOLUTION: A terminal of a wire bundle 4 is connected with a connector 30 arranged at a position displaced in a crossing direction Z crossing an extending direction Y of the wire bundle 4 with respect to the wire bundle 4. At the terminal side of the wire bundle 4, a bent portion 5 bent in the crossing direction Z toward the connector 30 is formed and a cylindrical exterior protective material 10 externally covering the wire bundle 4 to protect the wire bundle 4 is provided. The exterior protective material 10 is provided with an exterior main body portion 11 extending in the extending direction Y to externally cover the wire bundle 4, and an extension portion 12 extending to a tip side in the extending direction Y beyond the bent portion 5 from the exterior main body portion 11. The extension portion 12 is provided with a derivation protection part 13 deriving a terminal 5a of the bent portion 5 in the crossing direction Z, and a projection part 14 projecting from the bent portion 5 to the tip side in the extending direction Y.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness in which, for example, ends of a wire bundle are connected to a connector oriented in a cross direction crossing the extension direction of the wire bundle, and a bent portion that bends in the cross direction toward the connector is formed on the end side of the wire bundle. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical equipment installed in automobiles and other vehicles is connected to other electrical equipment and power supplies via wire harnesses, which are bundles of insulated electric wires, to form electrical circuits. Such wire harnesses are protected by being inserted inside exterior protective materials such as twisted tubes and corrugated tubes.

[0003] In addition, the wire harness forms an electric circuit by fitting and connecting a connector connected to an end of a bundle of electric wires into a connector receiving portion provided on a connection target. Therefore, the wire harness may be connected to a so-called horizontal connector, in which the connector is arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the electric wire bundle, and the electric wires constituting the electric wire bundle are bent at the end of the electric wire bundle for connection.

[0004] In this way, the bent portions of the wire bundle formed by bending the wires are connected to terminals arranged inside the connector, and the spacing between the wires increases according to the spacing of the cavities that house the terminals in the connector, making it impossible to protect the wires with the exterior protective member that covers the wire bundle.

[0005] For this reason, a cover such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 has sometimes been placed over the bent portion to protect it. For example, the cover in Patent Document 1 is a synthetic resin molded product that is formed separately from the exterior protective member and has a portion that fits into the connector, a portion that houses the bent portion, and a portion through which the electric wires are drawn out. Therefore, dedicated covers are required depending on the size and shape of the connector, the angle of the bent portion, the thickness of the electric wire bundle, etc., which has led to problems such as an increase in the number of types and the number of manufacturing molds. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-234659 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness that can protect bent portions only with an exterior protective member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a wire harness in which an end of a wire bundle is connected to a connector that is arranged at a position shifted in a transverse direction intersecting an extension direction of the wire bundle with respect to the wire bundle, and a bent portion that bends in the transverse direction toward the connector is formed on the end side of the wire bundle, the wire harness including a tubular exterior protective material that covers and protects the wire bundle, the exterior protective material having an exterior main body portion that covers the wire bundle and extends in the extension direction, and an extension portion that extends from the exterior main body portion beyond the bent portion toward the tip side in the extension direction, and the extension portion has a lead-out protective portion that leads out a part of the bent portion in the transverse direction, and a protruding portion that protrudes from the bent portion toward the tip side in the extension direction. The exterior protective material has a cross section that is divided and a divided portion is provided over the entire length of the exterior protective material in the longitudinal direction, the bent portion is led out from the divided portion in the lead-out protective portion, the lead-out protective portion is provided with an extended piece that extends toward the connector, a main body side notch that is cut in the circumferential direction so as to intersect with the divided portion is formed at the boundary between the exterior main body portion and the lead-out protective portion, and a protrusion side notch that is cut in the circumferential direction so as to intersect with the divided portion is formed at the boundary between the lead-out protective portion and the protrusion, and the main body side notch and the protrusion side notch flexibly deform a lower portion of the lead-out protective portion to form the extended piece. It is characterized by:

[0009] According to the present invention, the bent portion of the wire harness can also be protected by the exterior protective member. In more detail, the cylindrical exterior protective material that covers and protects the wire bundle has an extension portion that extends from the exterior main body portion that covers the wire bundle extending in the extension direction, beyond the bent portion, and toward the tip side in the extension direction, and the extension portion has a lead-out protection portion that leads out a part of the bent portion in the intersecting direction, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the bent portion toward the tip side in the extension direction. Therefore, the bent portion toward the so-called side-out connector can be protected by the lead-out protection portion.

[0010] Furthermore, since the protruding portion is provided extending toward the tip end in the extension direction from the lead-out protection portion, even if the bent portion is misaligned so as to be positioned toward the tip end in the extension direction from the lead-out protection portion when the sheathing protective material is sheathed around the wire bundle, the protruding portion can be sheathed around the bent portion. Therefore, the wire harness can be reliably protected by the sheathing protective member, including the bent portion, without being affected by variations in accuracy when the sheathing protective material is sheathed around the wire bundle.

[0011] In addition, since the protrusion extending from the lead-out protection portion toward the tip side in the extension direction is provided, it is possible to prevent problems such as the lead-out protection portion accidentally coming off the bent portion. Therefore, the wire harness including the bent portion can be reliably protected by the exterior protection member without using a separate member. Here, the part of the bent portion refers to a portion of the bent portion that leads out from the lead-out protection portion in the cross direction, for example, the end of the bent portion, more specifically, the portion where the terminal is connected to the connector. Note that the portion of the bent portion other than the part is protected by the lead-out protection portion.

[0012] In addition, the exterior protective material has a portion of its cross section divided and a divided portion that is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the exterior protective material, and the bent portion is led out from the divided portion in the lead-out protective portion, so that a portion of the bent portion can be led out in the cross direction from the divided portion without providing an opening in the tubular lead-out protective portion.

[0013] Furthermore, since the lead-out protection section is provided with an extension piece that extends toward the connector, the extension piece abuts against the end face of the connector connected to the terminal of the bent section, or covers the side of the connector, thereby further reducing the portion exposed from the lead-out protection section at the bent section, and further improving protection performance.

[0014] As an aspect of the present invention, the protrusion may be sealed. The above-mentioned sealing of the protrusion may mean sealing the entire protrusion or only a part of the protrusion. Alternatively, a lid may be provided on the cylindrical protrusion, or the cylindrical shape may be deformed and sealed by adhesion or welding.

[0015] This invention can prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering through the protruding portion that protrudes from the bent portion toward the tip end in the extension direction. Furthermore, if the cylindrical shape is deformed and welded to seal the protruding portion, the lead-out protection portion that covers the bent portion will also deform along with the deformation of the protruding portion, improving the restraining force on the bent portion and more reliably preventing problems such as the lead-out protection portion accidentally coming off the bent portion.

[0016] As another aspect of the present invention, the exterior protective material may be a twisted tube in which portions forming the divided portion overlap each other in the radial direction. According to this invention, in the exterior body portion and the protruding portion other than the lead-out protection portion that leads out the bent portion in the cross direction, the portions that form the dividing portion overlap in the radial direction, thereby ensuring protection. In addition, in the lead-out protection portion, the overlapping portions in the radial direction can be opened to allow the bent portion to be led out in the cross direction.

[0017] As another aspect of the present invention, the divided portion of the lead-out protection portion may be zigzag. According to this invention, the convex portion of the zigzag-shaped dividing section penetrates between the wires at the bend, further reducing the portion exposed from the lead-out protection section at the bend, thereby improving protection performance.

[0018] In addition, when the exterior protection member is a twisted tube in which the portions forming the dividing portion overlap in the radial direction, the lead-out protection portion from which the bent portion is led out is longer by the amount of the overlapping portions forming the dividing portion in the radial direction. Therefore, when the lead-out protection portion is flexibly deformed to form a gap in the dividing portion, the convex portion of the zigzag-shaped dividing portion is more likely to enter between the wires in the bent portion. This reduces the portion of the bent portion that is exposed from the lead-out protection portion, further improving protection performance.

[0019] In addition, when the exterior protection member is a twisted tube in which the portions forming the dividing portion overlap in the radial direction, the lead-out protection portion from which the bent portion is led out is longer by the amount of the portions forming the dividing portion overlapping in the radial direction. Therefore, by making a cut in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction near the boundary between the exterior main body portion and the lead-out protection portion, it is possible to easily form an extension piece extending toward the connector when the lead-out protection portion is flexibly deformed to form a gap at the dividing portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wire harness that can protect bent portions only with an exterior protective member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a terminal side of a wire bundle of a wire harness according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of the exterior protective material cut along the extension direction in FIG. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 1 [Figure 4] 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4A of a protrusion of Modification 2. [Figure 5] 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exterior protective material according to a first modification, taken along the arrow D in FIG. [Figure 6] 1. A cross-sectional view of the wire harness of Modified Example 1 taken along line E-E in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The extension direction of the wire harness 1 shown in Fig. 1 is defined as the Y direction, the vertical direction of the paper surface of Fig. 1 as the Z direction, and the direction into the paper surface of Fig. 1, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the Y direction and the Z direction, as the X direction. Furthermore, in the drawing, arrow Ya indicates one side in the Y direction, arrow Yb indicates the other side in the Y direction, arrow Za indicates the upper side, arrow Zb indicates the lower side, arrow Xa indicates one side in the X direction, and arrow Xb indicates the other side in the X direction.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wire harness 1 includes a bundle of electric wires 4 (see Figure 2) extending in the Y direction and a connector 30 that connects an end of the bundle of electric wires 4 to a connection part of various electrical devices, a power source (battery), etc. mounted on the vehicle, and is routed along a predetermined routing path in the vehicle.

[0024] The wire bundle 4 is formed by bundling a plurality of wires 2. The wire bundle 4 includes the number of wires 2 (12 in this embodiment) corresponding to the number of terminal insertion chambers 32 provided in the connector 30, which will be described later. The electric wire 2 is a coated electric wire in which the conductor is covered with an insulating coating, and the insulating coating is stripped off at the end, and a terminal 3 is connected to the exposed conductor.

[0025] The electric wire bundle 4 obtained by bundling the electric wires 2 configured in this manner extends in the Y direction, and on the Ya direction side, a bent portion 5 is formed that is bent downward in the Zb direction toward the connector 30, i.e., is bent laterally. As a result, an end 5a of the bent portion 5 is oriented in the downward direction Zb.

[0026] 3, the connector 30 is provided with a plurality of terminal insertion chambers 32 (cavities) for inserting and holding terminals 3 connected to the ends of the electric wires 2. The terminal insertion chambers 32 have openings 32a that open from the terminal insertion side end face 31 toward the outside, and are formed so that the terminals 3 can be inserted through the openings 32a.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the connector 30 of this embodiment has terminal insertion chambers 32 arranged in two rows on each side in the X direction on the terminal insertion side end face 31 of the connector 30, and as shown in FIG. 2, multiple rows (six rows in this example) are arranged along the Y direction, for a total of 12 poles.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 30 is positioned in a position adjacent to and shifted downward Zb from the wire bundle 4 (see Figure 2) extending in the Y direction, with the terminal insertion side end face 31 facing the terminal side of the wire bundle 4.

[0029] 2 and 3, the terminals 3 connected to the ends of the plurality of electric wires 2 at the bent portion 5 are inserted into the corresponding terminal insertion chambers 32 from the openings 32a of the terminal insertion side end face 31. That is, the connector 30 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a so-called side-exit connector that connects electric wires 2 that are side-exited.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4(a) and (b), the wire harness 1 is provided with a tubular exterior protective material 10 that covers the electric wire bundle 4 to protect the electric wire bundle 4.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4(a), the exterior protective material 10 has an exterior main body portion 11 that sheathes the wire bundle 4 extending in the Y direction, and an extension portion 12 that extends in the Ya direction from the exterior main body portion 11 past the bent portion 5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the extension portion 12 has a lead-out protection portion 13 that sheathes the bent portion 5 and leads out an end 5a of the bent portion 5 in the downward direction Zb, and a protrusion 14 that protrudes from the bent portion 5 in the Ya direction as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4(b).

[0032] 2 to 4(a) and 4(b), the exterior protective material 10 extends cylindrically over the entire length in the Y direction, and a dividing portion 15 that divides a portion of the exterior protective material 10 in the circumferential direction is provided along the Y direction. The dividing portion 15 is provided on the side in the circumferential direction where the connector 30 is arranged, i.e., in the portion in the downward direction Zb.

[0033] 4(a) and 4(b), the exterior protective material 10 is a twisted tube in which both edge portions 16 forming the dividing portion 15 in the circumferential direction overlap each other in the radial direction. In this embodiment, both edge portions 16 forming the dividing portion 15 are formed linearly along the Y direction so as to be parallel to each other.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the exterior protective material 10 flexes and deforms so that a gap 15s connecting the internal space 10s to the outside is formed between the two edge portions 16 of the dividing portion 15, and has flexibility (elasticity) that allows the two edge portions 16 forming the dividing portion 15 to return to a cylindrical shape in which they overlap each other radially.

[0035] The exterior protective material 10 can be made of materials such as synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, etc. In addition, although the exterior protective material 10 of the present embodiment is made of a tubular woven fabric, when it is made of a fiber cloth in this way, it may also be made of a net or nonwoven fabric as long as it has flexibility.

[0036] 1, the exterior body portion 11 is wrapped with tape while being wrapped around the wire bundle 4. As a result, the exterior body portion 11 is tightly adhered to the wire bundle 4 using tape 6 so as not to be misaligned in the Y direction. When wrapping the tape around the exterior body portion 11, it is preferable to route the tape 6 that has been wrapped directly around the wire bundle 4 inside the exterior body portion 11 to the outside of the exterior body portion 11 through the gap 15s of the dividing portion 15, and then wrap the tape around the exterior body portion 11. This makes it possible to further prevent the exterior protective material 10 from shifting in position relative to the wire bundle 4.

[0037] In addition, in this embodiment, the tape is wrapped around only the exterior body portion 11 of the exterior protection material 10, but this is not limiting, and the tape may also be wrapped around the lead-out protection portion 13 or the protruding portion 14.

[0038] 1 and 2, the lead-out protection portion 13 protrudes in the Ya direction from the tip of the exterior body portion 11 in the Ya direction and protects almost the entire bent portion 5 when it is fitted around the bent portion 5. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the dividing portion 15 in the lead-out protection portion 13 opens in the Z direction so that the end 5a of the bent portion 5 can be led out in the downward direction Zb. In this manner, in this embodiment, the gaps 15s formed in the dividing portion 15 have an X-direction interval that allows two electric wires 2 on the side of the end 5a of the bent portion 5 to be led out along the Y direction, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0039] As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the terminal 5a of the bending portion 5 is led out to the outside of the lead-out protection portion 13 through the gap 15s, and as described above, each electric wire 2 is inserted and held in the terminal insertion chamber 32 of the connector 30.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the lead-out protection portion 13 is flexibly deformed so that a gap 15s through which the bent portion 5 is led out is formed between both edge portions 16 that form the dividing portion 15, the lower portion of the lead-out protection portion 13 extends toward the terminal insertion side end face 31 of the connector 30. The lower portion of the lead-out protection portion 13 extending toward the connector 30 is formed as an extension piece 19.

[0041] The extension length of the extension piece 19 in the downward direction Zb can be set according to the radial overlap of both edge portions 16 that form the dividing portion 15 in the lead-out protection portion 13 before bending deformation. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the extension piece 19 in this embodiment extends further toward the connector 30, i.e., in the downward direction Zb, than the lower end of the exterior body portion 11, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the extension end 19a is set to a length that substantially reaches the terminal insertion side end face 31 of the connector 30. As a result, the extension piece 19 is fitted over substantially the entire end 5a of the bending portion 5 that faces the connector 30. Therefore, the lead-out protection portion 13 is fitted over substantially the entire bending portion 5 except for the connection portion to the connector 30.

[0042] 1, 2, and 4(b), the protrusion 14 further protrudes in the Ya direction from the Ya-direction tip of the lead-out protection portion 13, and has an opening 14a (see FIG. 2) that opens at the Ya-direction tip toward the outside. That is, the internal space 10s of the protrusion 14 is open toward the outside through the opening 14a.

[0043] Furthermore, even when the terminal 5a of the curved portion 5 is led out to the outside through the gap 15s of the separating portion 15 in the lead-out protection portion 13, the exterior main body portion 11 and the protruding portion 14 are kept in a state in which the gap 15s of the separating portion 15 is closed.

[0044] 1 and 2 , the wire harness 1 of the above-described embodiment includes a cylindrical exterior protective material 10 that covers and protects the wire bundle 4, and an extension portion 12 that extends in the Ya direction from an exterior main body portion 11 that covers the wire bundle 4 extending in the Y direction, past the bending portion 5, and the extension portion 12 is provided with a lead-out protection portion 13 that leads out an end 5a of the bending portion 5 to the outside in the downward direction Zb, and a protruding portion 14 that protrudes in the Ya direction from the bending portion 5. Therefore, the bending portion 5 that faces the so-called side-out connector 30 can be protected by the lead-out protection portion 13.

[0045] Here, when the exterior protective material 10 is wrapped around the wire bundle 4, for example, if the tape is wrapped around a position that is shifted in the Yb direction from the tip end position of the exterior main body portion 11 in the Ya direction, or in the state before the tape is wrapped around the exterior main body portion 11, there is a risk that the lead-out protection portion 13 will be shifted in the Yb direction relative to the bend portion 5.

[0046] However, as described above, the exterior protective material 10 has a protrusion 14 extending in the Ya direction from the lead-out protective portion 13, so that even if the lead-out protective portion 13 is misaligned in the Yb direction relative to the bending portion 5, the protrusion 14 is fitted to the bending portion 5.

[0047] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as the bent portion 5 accidentally coming off the exterior protective material 10, and the wire harness 1 including the bent portion 5 can be reliably protected by the exterior protective material 10 without using a cover that is formed of a separate member from the exterior protective material and that covers only the bent portion 5 as in the past.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the exterior protective material 10 has a portion of its cross section perpendicular to the Y direction that is divided, and a dividing portion 15 that is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the exterior protective material 10, i.e., the Y direction, is provided, and in the lead-out protective portion 13, the bent portion 5 may be led out from the dividing portion 15 to the side of the connector 30.

[0049] With this configuration, the cylindrical lead-out protection portion 13 is flexibly deformed so that a gap 15s is formed in the dividing portion 15 without providing an opening that is always open in the lead-out protection portion 13, and the terminal 5a of the bending portion 5 can be led outward from the gap 15s.

[0050] 4(a) and 4(b), in the exterior protective material 10, the radially overlapping edge portions 16 are separated from each other in the lead-out protection portion 13 to form a gap 15s, through which the bent portion 5 can be led outward. Meanwhile, even in this state in which the bent portion 5 is led outward through the gap 15s in the lead-out protection portion 13, the exterior main body portion 11 and the protruding portion 14 can reliably protect the wire bundle 4 because the both edge portions 16 forming the dividing portion 15 overlap in the radial direction.

[0051] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lead-out protection portion 13 is provided with an extension piece 19 that extends toward the connector 30 when it is bent and deformed so that a gap 15s is formed between both edge portions 16 that form the separation portion 15. This allows the extension piece 19 to abut against the terminal insertion side end face 31 of the connector 30 to which the terminal 5a of the bending portion 5 is connected, or to cover the side surface of the connector 30, thereby further reducing the portion of the bending portion 5 that is exposed from the lead-out protection portion 13, thereby further improving the protection performance of the wire bundle 4.

[0052] In the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiment, the extending direction of the wire bundle corresponds to the Y direction. The cross direction corresponds to the Z direction, The tip side in the stretching direction corresponds to the Ya direction, A part of the bent portion corresponds to the terminal 5a of the bent portion, The portions forming the dividing portion correspond to the respective edge portions 16 forming the dividing portion 15, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many embodiments can be obtained.

[0053] For example, the exterior protective material of the present invention may be formed like an exterior protective material 10A according to a first modified example shown in FIG.

[0054] 5, in the exterior protective material 10A according to the first modification, a main body-side cutout 21a is formed at the boundary between the exterior main body portion 11 and the lead-out protection portion 13, the main body-side cutout 21a being cut in the circumferential direction so as to intersect with the dividing portion 15, and a protrusion-side cutout 21b is formed at the boundary between the lead-out protection portion 13 and the protrusion 14, the main body-side cutout 21a and the protrusion-side cutout 21b being cut in the circumferential direction so as to intersect with the dividing portion 15. These main body-side cutout 21a and the protrusion-side cutout 21b allow the lead-out protection portion 13 to easily flex and deform only at its lower portion so that the extension piece 19 extends toward the connector 30.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, in the exterior protection material 10A according to the first modification, each edge 16A forming the dividing portion 15 of the lead-out protection portion 13 is formed in a zigzag shape along the Y direction.

[0056] Specifically, each edge 16A forming the dividing portion 15 is formed in a zigzag shape of the same shape and size, i.e., a wave shape with the same period (pitch), amplitude, and phase. Furthermore, in a state in which the lead-out protection portion 13 is flexibly deformed to extend toward the connector 30 as the extension piece 19, the extending end 19a of the extension piece 19, i.e., each edge 16A forming the dividing portion 15, has convex portions 17 that protrude toward the connector 30 and concave portions 18 that are concave relative to the convex portions 17, formed alternately along the Y direction.

[0057] Furthermore, the multiple protrusions 17 are arranged at a pitch that allows one electric wire 2 to be placed between the tops of adjacent protrusions 17, and at a pitch that corresponds to the arrangement pitch of the terminal insertion chambers 32 in the width direction of the connector 30.

[0058] According to the above-described configuration, when the lower part of the lead-out protection portion 13 is flexibly deformed to extend toward the connector 30 as an extension piece 19, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the extension end 19a of the extension piece 19, i.e., each edge portion 16A forming the dividing portion 15, has the recessed portion 18 abutting against the outer peripheral surface of each introduction portion of the plurality of electric wires 2 into the opening 32a of the terminal insertion chamber 32 at the end 5a of the bending portion 5, and the protruding portion 17 can be inserted between adjacent electric wires 2 in the Y direction.

[0059] By sheathing the lead-out protection portion 13 around the bent portion 5 of the plurality of electric wires 2 in this sheathing manner, the extending end 19a of the extension piece 19 engages with the electric wires 2 inserted and held in the connector 30, so that the sheathing protection material 10A can be stably sheathed around the bent portion 5 and can be sheathed around almost the entire bent portion 5.

[0060] As described above, the exterior protective material 10A according to the first modification is formed with the main body-side notch 21a and the protruding portion-side notch 21b (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the lead-out protective portion 13 can easily bend and deform only the lower portion of the lead-out protective portion 13, independently of the exterior main body portion 11 and the protruding portion 14 adjacent in the Y direction, so that the extension piece 19 extends toward the connector 30. Therefore, in the lead-out protective portion 13, the terminal 5a of the bent portion 5 can easily be led out to the outside through the gap 15s between the two edge portions 16A that form the separating portion 15.

[0061] The main body side notch 21a and the protrusion side notch 21b prevent the gap 15s at the separation portion 15 of the lead-out protection portion 13 from inadvertently widening toward the exterior main body portion 11 or the protrusion 14, and allow the bent portion 5 to be led out to the outside through the gap 15s at the separation portion 15 of the lead-out protection portion 13.

[0062] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the exterior body portion 11 and the protruding portion 14 from losing their shape due to the formation of the gap 15s at the dividing portion 15 of the lead-out protection portion 13.

[0063] Furthermore, the exterior protective material 10A according to the first modification is formed with the above-described main body-side notch 21a and protrusion-side notch 21b (see FIG. 5), which makes it easier to extend the extension piece 19 toward the connector 30, and allows it to extend until it covers the side surface of the connector 30. Therefore, the bent portion 5 can be securely protected by the lead-out protection portion 13.

[0064] Furthermore, as in the exterior protective material 10B of variant example 2 shown in Figure 4(c), the protrusion 14B may be configured in such a way that the opening 14a (see Figure 2) is sealed by, for example, thermally welding opposing portions 14Ba, 14Ba to each other in the circumferential direction (here, the X direction).

[0065] Furthermore, by sealing the opening 14a of the protrusion 14B in this manner, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering the internal space 10s through the opening 14a. Furthermore, by sealing the opening 14a of the protrusion 14, it is possible to prevent the exterior protective material 10A from accidentally coming off the wire bundle 4 through the opening 14a of the protrusion 14 even if the lead-out protection portion 13 that is sheathed around the bend portion 5 is misaligned in the Yb direction, for example.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to forming the lower part of the lead-out protection portion 13 as the extension piece 19, but may include a separate member formed around the periphery of the dividing portion 15 of the lead-out protection portion 13. In this way, when the lead-out protection portion 13 is flexibly deformed so that the gap 15s of the dividing portion 15 opens, the extension piece formed of the separate member can be extended from the periphery of the dividing portion 15 of the lead-out protection portion 13 towards the connector 30.

[0067] In addition, when the lead-out protection portion 13 is flexibly deformed so that a gap 15s through which the bent portion 5 is led out is formed between the two edge portions 16 that form the separating portion 15, the lower portion is not limited to being formed as an extension piece 19 that extends toward the connector 30, but the two edge portions 16 that form the separating portion 15 may be formed so that they face each other radially, separated by the gap 15s between them.

[0068] Furthermore, the exterior protective material 10A of the above-mentioned variant example 1 is formed with a zigzag dividing portion 15 along its entire length in the Y direction, but as long as at least the lead-out protective portion 13 in the Y direction is formed with a zigzag dividing portion 15, for example, the dividing portion 15 of at least one of the exterior main body portion 11 and the protrusion portion 14 does not have to be zigzag-shaped.

[0069] Furthermore, when the protrusion of the present invention seals an opening, the means for doing so is not limited to thermal welding as in the case of protrusion 14B of variant example 2 described above, but may also be sealing using, for example, tape, adhesive, or a plug member.

[0070] Furthermore, the exterior protective material of the present invention is not limited to a twisted tube like the exterior protective material 10 of the above-mentioned embodiment, but is not particularly limited to any particular cylindrical material that has a divided portion in a circumferential direction and is flexible, such as a corrugated tube.

[0071] When a corrugated tube is used as the exterior protective material, the gap in the divided portion may be formed to remain open even when the lead-out protection portion is not normally deformed. This allows the gap in the divided portion to be opened widely when the lead-out protection portion is deformed, even if the corrugated tube is hard, so that the electric wire can be easily led out to the connector through the gap.

[0072] The connector 30 in the above-described embodiment is positioned with a downward shift in the Zb direction relative to the wire bundle 4 extending in the extension direction, but the connector of the present invention is not limited to this and may be positioned with a shift in any direction in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction, such as upward in the Za direction, Xa direction, or Xb direction.

[0073] Furthermore, the angle of the bending portion 5 in the above-described embodiment is perpendicular to the wiring direction of the wire harness 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the angle may be an obtuse angle within a range that does not interfere with vehicle body members located around the bending portion 5.

[0074] The bent portion of the present invention is not limited to being formed on the terminal side of the wire bundle 4 constituting the main harness in the wire harness 1, but may also be formed on the terminal side of the wire bundle 4 constituting the sub-harness branching off from the main harness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...Wire harness 4…Wire bundle 5...Bend 5a...End of bent part 10,10A,10B…Exterior protection material 11...Exterior body part 12...Stretched part 13... Lead-out protection part 14,14B...Protruding part 15...Divided part 16, 16A...Edge forming the dividing portion 17...Extending piece 30...Connector Y: Extension direction of the wire bundle Ya: tip end side in the extension direction Z…Cross direction

Claims

1. A wire harness in which an end of a wire bundle is connected to a connector that is disposed at a position shifted from the wire bundle in a transverse direction that intersects with an extending direction of the wire bundle, and a bent portion that bends in the transverse direction toward the connector is formed on the end side of the wire bundle, A cylindrical exterior protective material is provided to exteriorly protect the electric wire bundle, The exterior protective material is an exterior body portion that sheathes the wire bundle extending in the extension direction; an extension portion extending from the exterior body portion beyond the bent portion toward a tip end in the extension direction; The extension portion is a lead-out protection portion that leads out a part of the bent portion in the intersecting direction; a protruding portion protruding from the bent portion toward a tip end in the extension direction, The exterior protective material is A part of the cross section is divided, and a divided portion is provided over the entire length of the exterior protective material in the longitudinal direction, In the lead-out protection portion, the bent portion is led out from the divided portion, The lead-out protection portion is provided with an extension piece extending toward the connector, a main body side notch cut in the circumferential direction so as to intersect with the dividing portion at the boundary between the exterior main body portion and the lead-out protection portion, and a protrusion side notch cut in the circumferential direction so as to intersect with the dividing portion at the boundary between the lead-out protection portion and the protrusion, The main body-side notch and the protrusion-side notch cause a lower portion of the lead-out protection portion to bend and deform, thereby forming the extension piece. Wire harness.

2. The protrusion is sealed. The wire harness according to claim 1 .

3. The exterior protective material is The portion forming the dividing portion is a twisted tube overlapping in the radial direction. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The divided portion of the lead-out protection portion has a zigzag shape along the extension direction. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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