Wire harness and method for manufacturing wire harness

Abstract

To provide a wiring harness capable of holding, at an end of a pipe, a plurality of electric wires that are firmly bound.SOLUTION: A wiring harness 10 comprises: a plurality of electric wires 20; a pipe 30 through which the plurality of electric wires 20 are inserted; and a binding member which covers and binds the plurality of electric wires 20 while being fixed to an end in a lengthwise direction of the pipe 30. The binding member is a heat shrinkable tube 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire harness and a method for manufacturing the wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a wire harness that includes a plurality of electric wires, a pipe that covers the outer peripheries of the plurality of electric wires, and a holder that is fixed to the longitudinal end of the pipe and holds the plurality of electric wires (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The holder includes a tubular inner fitting portion that is fitted into the longitudinal end of the pipe, and a holding piece that extends further from a portion of the circumferential direction of the inner fitting portion inside the pipe. The holder holds the plurality of electric wires by wrapping the holding piece together with the plurality of electric wires in adhesive tape. In other words, the adhesive tape holds the plurality of electric wires in the holding piece while bundling them together. In such a wire harness, the holder maintains the positions of the electric wires relative to the end of the pipe, thereby suppressing, for example, rubbing of the electric wires against the end of the pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-84547 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-described wire harness, the bundling member covering and bundling the multiple electric wires is an adhesive tape, which has a problem that the bundling force of the multiple electric wires is weak. As a result, for example, the electric wires are easily twisted relative to each other. This makes it difficult to insert the electric wires into the pipe, for example.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wire harness in which a plurality of electric wires can be tightly bundled and held at an end of a pipe, and a method for manufacturing the wire harness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The wire harness of the present disclosure is a wire harness including a plurality of electric wires, a pipe through which the plurality of electric wires are inserted, and a bundling member that is fixed to an end of the pipe in the longitudinal direction and that covers and bundles the plurality of electric wires, wherein the bundling member is a heat-shrinkable tube.

[0007] The method for manufacturing a wire harness of the present disclosure includes a first step of passing a plurality of electric wires through a heat-shrinkable tube, a second step of heating the heat-shrinkable tube to heat-shrink the tube, thereby covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires with the heat-shrinkable tube, and a third step of inserting the plurality of electric wires into a pipe and fixing the heat-shrinkable tube to an end of the pipe in the longitudinal direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the wire harness and the method for manufacturing the wire harness of the present disclosure, a plurality of electric wires can be tightly bundled and held at the end of the pipe. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a wire harness according to another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a wire harness according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The wire harness of the present disclosure includes: [1] A wire harness comprising: a plurality of electric wires; a pipe through which the plurality of electric wires are inserted; and a bundling member fixed to an end of the pipe in the longitudinal direction and covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires, wherein the bundling member is a heat-shrinkable tube.

[0011] According to this configuration, the bundling member that is fixed to the longitudinal end of the pipe and that covers and bundles the multiple electric wires is a heat-shrinkable tube, so the multiple electric wires can be easily and firmly bundled. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the electric wires from being twisted relative to one another. Therefore, for example, it is easy to insert the electric wires into the pipe.

[0012] [2] The heat-shrinkable tube is preferably bonded to the electric wire with an adhesive. According to this configuration, the heat-shrinkable tube is bonded to the electric wires with an adhesive, so that the positional relationship between the electric wires can be further prevented from becoming twisted.

[0013] [3] It is preferable that the adhesive fills all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube and the electric wire. According to this configuration, the adhesive fills all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube and the electric wires, which further prevents the electric wires from becoming twisted in their relative positions.

[0014] [4] It is preferable that a press-fit portion that protrudes outward and is press-fitted into the pipe is provided at a portion of the heat-shrinkable tube in the longitudinal direction. According to this configuration, a portion of the heat-shrinkable tube in the longitudinal direction is provided with a press-fit portion that protrudes outward and is press-fitted into the pipe, making it easy to secure the heat-shrinkable tube to the pipe. Furthermore, because the entire assembly, including the electric wires, is press-fitted into the pipe, the electric wires are less likely to move within the pipe. Therefore, twisting of the electric wires relative to each other can be further prevented.

[0015] [5] It is preferable that the press-fit portion is formed by an adhesive tape wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube. According to this configuration, the press-fit portion is formed by the adhesive tape wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube, so that the press-fit portion can be easily provided.

[0016] [6] It is preferable that the press-fit portion is integrally molded with the heat-shrinkable tube. According to this configuration, the press-fitting portion is integrally molded with the heat-shrinkable tube, and therefore the number of parts and manufacturing steps can be reduced compared to when the press-fitting portion is a separate body.

[0017] The manufacturing method of the wire harness of the present disclosure includes: [7] The method includes a first step of passing a plurality of electric wires through a heat-shrinkable tube, a second step of heating the heat-shrinkable tube to heat-shrink the tube, thereby covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires with the heat-shrinkable tube, and a third step of inserting the plurality of electric wires into a pipe and fixing the heat-shrinkable tube to the longitudinal end of the pipe.

[0018] According to this method, multiple electric wires can be easily and securely bundled using a heat-shrinkable tube, which can prevent the electric wires from becoming twisted relative to one another, making it easier to insert the electric wires into a pipe, for example.

[0019] [8] It is preferable that the heat-shrinkable tube used in the first step has an adhesive applied to its inner surface, and that in the second step, the heat-shrinkable tube is heated to cause it to heat-shrink, thereby covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires with the heat-shrinkable tube and filling all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube and the electric wires with the adhesive.

[0020] According to this method, the adhesive fills all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube and the electric wires, further preventing the electric wires from becoming twisted relative to one another. [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ from one drawing to another. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In this specification, "parallel" and "orthogonal" do not only refer to strictly parallel or orthogonal, but also include approximately orthogonal within the scope of the effects of the present embodiment. Furthermore, in this specification, "circle" and "arc" do not only refer to strictly circular or arc, but also include approximately circular or arc within the scope of the effects of the present embodiment.

[0021] (Overall configuration of the wire harness 10) 1 electrically connects two or more electrical devices. The wire harness 10 electrically connects an inverter 11 installed in the front of a vehicle V, such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, to a high-voltage battery 12 installed behind the inverter 11 on the vehicle V. The wire harness 10 is routed, for example, so as to pass under the floor of the vehicle V. For example, the intermediate portion of the wire harness 10 in the longitudinal direction is routed outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle V, such as under the floor of the vehicle V.

[0022] The inverter 11 is connected to a wheel drive motor (not shown) that serves as a power source for running the vehicle. The inverter 11 generates AC power from DC power from a high-voltage battery 12 and supplies the AC power to the motor. The high-voltage battery 12 is a battery capable of supplying a voltage of, for example, several hundred volts.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the wire harness 10 includes a plurality of electric wires 20 that electrically connect the above-mentioned electric devices to each other, a pipe 30 that covers the outer periphery of the electric wires 20, and a heat-shrinkable tube 40 that serves as a bundling member fixed to the end of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] (Configuration of the electric wire member 20) 3 and 4, the electric wire 20 has a core wire 21 and an insulating coating 22 that covers the outer periphery of the core wire 21. The wire harness 10 of this embodiment has two electric wires 20.

[0025] The core wire 21 may be, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting together a plurality of metal wires, or a braided member formed by braiding a plurality of metal wires into a cylindrical shape. The core wire 21 of this embodiment is a stranded wire. The material of the core wire 21 may be, for example, a copper-based or aluminum-based metal material. Note that FIGS. 3 and 4 schematically illustrate the core wire 21, which is a stranded wire.

[0026] The insulating coating 22 covers the entire outer circumferential surface of the core wire 21. The insulating coating 22 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. (Pipe 30 configuration) The pipe 30 is formed in a long cylindrical shape. The pipe 30 of this embodiment is formed in a true cylindrical shape. The pipe 30, for example, accommodates the middle portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction inside. The pipe 30, for example, covers the outer periphery of the electric wire 20 over the entire circumferential direction. The pipe 30 can be, for example, a metal pipe or a resin pipe. Examples of materials that can be used for the metal pipe include aluminum-based and copper-based metal materials. Examples of materials that can be used for the resin pipe include synthetic resins such as polyolefin, polyamide, polyester, and ABS resin. The pipe 30 of this embodiment is a metal pipe.

[0027] The pipe 30 is bent two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally, for example, in a portion extending upward from under the floor of the vehicle V. For example, the wire harness 10 is formed by bending the pipe 30 while the electric wires 20 are inserted inside the straight pipe 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the pipe 30 has a linear portion 30a and a curved portion 30b. The portion extending from an end of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction to the vicinity thereof is made into the linear portion 30a.

[0028] (Configuration of heat shrink tube 40) The heat-shrinkable tube 40 has heat-shrinkability, meaning that it shrinks when heated. The heat-shrinkable tube 40 is configured to shrink when exposed to external heat, thereby reducing the inner diameter of the heat-shrinkable tube 40. Before being heated, the heat-shrinkable tube 40 of this embodiment has a cylindrical shape that allows two electric wires 20 to pass through. Therefore, when the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated with two electric wires 20 passed through it, it undergoes thermal shrinkage, thereby deforming to cover and bundle the two electric wires 20. In other words, when the heat-shrinkable tube 40 thermally shrinks, it deforms to bundle the two electric wires 20 while bringing them into close contact with each other.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4 , the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is bonded to the electric wire 20 by an adhesive 41. The adhesive 41 fills all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wire 20. More specifically, before the electric wire 20 is passed through the heat-shrinkable tube 40, the adhesive 41 is disposed on the inner surface of the heat-shrinkable tube 40. In this state, the adhesive 41 is disposed with a uniform thickness on the inner surface of the heat-shrinkable tube 40. The amount of adhesive 41 provided on the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is sufficient to fill all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wire 20 when the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated. In this embodiment, the amount of adhesive 41 is set so that the adhesive 41 slightly overflows from both ends of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 in the longitudinal direction when the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated. The adhesive 41 spreads throughout the entire gap between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wire 20 when the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated and thermally shrunk, and then hardens to bond the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wire 20 together.

[0030] Furthermore, a press-fit portion 42 that protrudes outward and is press-fitted into the pipe 30 is provided at a portion of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 in the longitudinal direction. The press-fit portion 42 in this embodiment is configured by an adhesive tape 43 wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube 40. The press-fit portion 42 is provided by wrapping the adhesive tape 43 around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 after the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated to bundle the plurality of electric wires 20. Here, the adhesive tape 43 is wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 two times. The press-fit portion 42 increases the outer diameter of the heat-shrinkable tube 40, thereby making it large enough to press-fit the integrated unit including the two electric wires 20 and the heat-shrinkable tube 40 into the pipe 30. In other words, the heat-shrinkable tube 40 in a state before the press-fit portion 42 is provided and in which the two electric wires 20 are bundled can be passed through the pipe 30 without being press-fitted into the pipe 30. The press-fit portion 42 is provided so that the integrated unit including the two electric wires 20, the heat-shrinkable tube 40, and the press-fit portion 42 can be press-fitted and fixed to the pipe 30. The press-fit portion 42 is press-fitted into a portion of the end of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction that corresponds to the straight portion 30a, so that the two electric wires 20 and the heat-shrinkable tube 40 are fixed to the end of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction.

[0031] Next, a method for manufacturing the wire harness 10 configured as above will be described. The method for manufacturing the wire harness 10 includes a first step, a second step, and a third step. In the first step, the two electric wires 20 are first passed through the heat-shrinkable tube 40. The heat-shrinkable tube 40 used in the first step is in a state before being heated, i.e., before being shrunk. The heat-shrinkable tube 40 used in the first step has an adhesive 41 disposed on its inner surface.

[0032] In the second step, the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated to cause it to shrink, thereby covering and bundling the two electric wires 20 with the heat-shrinkable tube 40. At this time, all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wires 20 are filled with the adhesive 41. In other words, in the second step, the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is heated to cover and bundle the two electric wires 20 with the heat-shrinkable tube 40, and the adhesive 41 moves to fill all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wires 20. Then, the adhesive 41 hardens as it cools.

[0033] In the third step, the two electric wires 20 are inserted into the pipe 30, and the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is fixed to the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the pipe 30. In this embodiment, before the third step, the pressure-fit portion 42 is provided by wrapping adhesive tape 43 around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 two times, and in the third step, the pressure-fit portion 42 is press-fitted and fixed to the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the pipe 30.

[0034] Then, the curved portion 30b is formed by bending the pipe 30. In this manner, the manufacturing of the wire harness 10 is completed. The operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] The plurality of electric wires 20 are bundled while being covered with a heat-shrinkable tube 40 serving as a bundling member. A press-fit portion 42 provided in a portion of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 in the longitudinal direction is press-fitted into the end portion of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, portions of the plurality of electric wires 20 in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the end portion of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, even if a force is applied to the electric wires 20 when the pipe 30 is bent, for example, displacement of the electric wires 20 in the longitudinal direction relative to the end portion of the pipe 30 is suppressed. Furthermore, for example, rubbing of the electric wires 20 against the end portion of the pipe 30 is suppressed.

[0036] Next, the effects of the above embodiment will be described below. (1) The bundling member that is fixed to the end of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction and that covers and bundles the plurality of electric wires 20 is the heat-shrinkable tube 40, so that the plurality of electric wires 20 can be easily and firmly bundled. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the positional relationship between the electric wires 20 from being twisted. Therefore, for example, it becomes easy to insert the electric wires 20 into the pipe 30.

[0037] (2) Since the heat-shrinkable tube 40 is bonded to the electric wires 20 by the adhesive 41, it is possible to further prevent the positional relationship between the electric wires 20 from being twisted. (3) The adhesive 41 fills all the gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wires 20, which further prevents the electric wires 20 from being twisted relative to each other.

[0038] (4) The heat-shrinkable tube 40 has a press-fit portion 42 at a portion in the longitudinal direction thereof that protrudes outward and is press-fitted into the pipe 30, making it easy to fix the heat-shrinkable tube 40 to the pipe 30. Furthermore, since the entire assembly including the electric wires 20 is press-fitted into the pipe 30, it becomes more difficult for the electric wires 20 to move relative to each other within the pipe 30. This makes it possible to further prevent the positional relationship between the electric wires 20 from being twisted.

[0039] (5) The press-fit portion 42 is formed by adhesive tape 43 wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube 40. Therefore, the press-fit portion 42 can be easily provided, for example, by using a heat-shrinkable tube 40 having a simple shape and a constant thickness.

[0040] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. In the above embodiment, the heat shrinkable tube 40 is bonded to the electric wire 20 by the adhesive 41, but this is not limitative and the heat shrinkable tube 40 may not be bonded to the electric wire 20.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the adhesive 41 is disposed on the inner surface of the heat-shrinkable tube 40 before the electric wire 20 is passed through it. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the adhesive 41 may be disposed on the outer surface of the electric wire 20 before the electric wire 20 is passed through the heat-shrinkable tube 40.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the adhesive 41 fills all of the gap between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wire 20, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the adhesive 41 may be disposed only in a portion between the heat-shrinkable tube 40 and the electric wire 20.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the heat-shrinkable tube 40 has a press-fit portion 42 at a portion of its length that protrudes outward and is press-fitted into the pipe 30, but this is not limiting and the heat-shrinkable tube 40 may not have the press-fit portion 42. In this case, it is necessary to fix the heat-shrinkable tube 40 to the end of the pipe 30 in the length direction by using another structure, such as a holder that is fixed to the end of the pipe 30 in the length direction and holds the heat-shrinkable tube 40.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the press-fit portion 42 is configured by the adhesive tape 43 wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube 40, but this is not limited to this and the press-fit portion may be changed to one with a different configuration. In addition, the number of turns of the adhesive tape 43 to configure the press-fit portion 42 is not limited to two and can be any number.

[0045] For example, the press-fit portion may be integrally formed with the heat-shrinkable tube. Specifically, for example, it may be modified as shown in Fig. 5. In this example, the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the heat shrinkable tube 50 is formed thicker than the other portions to form a press-fit portion 51.

[0046] 6, for example, the heat-shrinkable tube 60 may be modified so that the thickness gradually increases from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction, and the portion that is press-fitted into the end of the pipe 30 in the longitudinal direction constitutes a press-fit portion 61.

[0047] In this way, the number of parts and manufacturing steps of the wire harness 10 can be reduced compared to the case where the press-fit portion 42 is a separate member as in the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the wire harness 10 has two electric wires 20, but is not limited thereto and may have three or more electric wires 20. That is, the heat-shrinkable tube 40 may cover and bundle three or more electric wires 20.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the pipe 30 is formed in a true cylindrical shape, but this is not limited thereto, and the pipe 30 may be formed in, for example, a square cylindrical shape or an elliptical shape. In the above embodiment, the wire harness 10 electrically connects the inverter 11 and the high-voltage battery 12, but is not limited to this and may be used to electrically connect other electrical devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 Wire harness 11 Inverter 12 High-voltage battery 20 Electric wire 21 Core Wire 22 Insulation coating 30 Pipe 30a Straight section 30b Curved section 40 Heat shrink tubing (bundling material) 41 Adhesive 42 Press-fit section 43 Adhesive Tape 50 Heat shrink tubing (bundling material) 51 Press-fit part 60 Heat shrink tubing (bundling material) 61 Press-fit part V vehicle

Claims

1. A plurality of wires; a pipe through which the plurality of electric wires are inserted; a bundling member fixed to an end of the pipe in a longitudinal direction and covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires, the bundling member is a heat-shrinkable tube, a press-fitting portion that protrudes outward and is press-fitted into the pipe at a portion of the length of the heat-shrinkable tube; Wire harness.

2. The heat shrinkable tube is bonded to the electric wire with an adhesive. The wire harness according to claim 1 .

3. The adhesive fills all gaps between the heat shrink tube and the electric wire. The wire harness according to claim 2 .

4. The press-fitting portion is formed by an adhesive tape wrapped around the outer periphery of the heat-shrinkable tube. The wire harness according to claim 1 .

5. The press-fitting portion is integrally molded with the heat-shrinkable tube. The wire harness according to claim 1 .

6. a first step of passing a plurality of electric wires through a heat shrink tube; a second step of covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires with the heat-shrinkable tube by heating the heat-shrinkable tube to cause heat shrinkage; and a third step of inserting the plurality of electric wires into a pipe and fixing the heat shrink tube to an end portion of the pipe in the longitudinal direction. A method for manufacturing a wire harness.

7. The heat shrinkable tube used in the first step has an adhesive applied to its inner surface, In the second step, the heat-shrinkable tube is heated to heat-shrink the tube, thereby covering and bundling the plurality of electric wires with the heat-shrinkable tube, and all gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube and the electric wires are filled with the adhesive. The method for manufacturing the wire harness according to claim 6.

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