Corrugated tube connector and corrugated wire harness

Abstract

To provide a corrugated tube and a corrugated tube connecting body capable of protecting a wire harness led out from a connecting portion with a small diameter corrugated tube.SOLUTION: A tubular first corrugate 20 in which a convex first outer peripheral convex portion 21 along the circumferential direction and a concave first outer peripheral concave portion 22 along the circumferential direction are alternately arranged in the axial direction L is provided with a wave-shaped slit 23 that divides a part of the circumferential direction along the axial direction L. A first circumferential convex portion 241 and a second circumferential convex portion 251 that protrude toward the other and are folded back in the circumferential direction at a first slit forming portion 24 and a second slit forming portion 25, which are circumferential end portions forming the wave-shaped slit 23 and a first circumferential recess 242 and a second circumferential recess 252 are formed by recessing in the circumferential direction inside the end in the axial direction L are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a corrugated tube for protecting electric wires inserted therethrough, a corrugated tube connector, and a corrugated wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a wire harness routed inside an automobile has been prevented from interfering with other components by being inserted into a hollow protective member. One example of such a protective member is a cylindrical corrugated tube having circumferentially extending protrusions and circumferentially extending recesses alternately arranged along the axial direction.

[0003] In recent years, as vehicles are equipped with a wide variety of electrical devices, the routing of wire harnesses in vehicles has become more complex. For example, when using a corrugated tube to protect a wire harness whose outer diameter changes due to branching or the like, a corrugated tube with a small diameter wire harness inserted therein (hereinafter referred to as a small diameter corrugated tube) has been inserted into a corrugated tube with a large diameter wire harness inserted therein, and fixing tape has been wrapped around and fixed across the boundary between the corrugated tube and the small diameter corrugated tube (see Patent Document 1). This is said to prevent the wire harness from being exposed at the boundary between the corrugated tube and the small diameter corrugated tube, thereby protecting the wire harness.

[0004] However, because the corrugated tube and the small-diameter corrugated tube have different outer diameters, even if a fixing tape is wrapped around the boundary, a gap will be created, and there is a risk that foreign matter may enter the interior through the gap. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-29052 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 corrugated tube and a corrugated tube connection body that can prevent foreign matter from entering through the connection portion with a small-diameter corrugated tube. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a cylindrical corrugated tube in which outer peripheral convex portions that are convex along the circumferential direction and outer peripheral concave portions that are concave along the circumferential direction are alternately arranged in the axial direction. and a small diameter corrugated tube having a diameter smaller than that of the corrugated tube, The corrugated tube is provided with a slit that divides a part of the circumferential direction along the axial direction, and at least one of slit forming portions that are ends in the circumferential direction that form the slit is provided with at least one of a circumferential convex portion that protrudes toward the other end and is folded back in the circumferential direction, and a circumferential concave portion that is formed by recessing in the circumferential direction on the inner side of the end in the axial direction, The slit forming portion is wavy with a plurality of circumferential convex portions arranged along the axial direction, and the portions between the circumferential convex portions in the slit forming portion are circumferential concave portions, and the end of the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted into the end of the corrugated tube, and the end of the corrugated tube on the side where the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted is a corrugated tube connected body in which circumferential portions separated by the slits are overlapped in the radial direction and reduced in diameter along the outer periphery of the small-diameter corrugated tube. Furthermore, the present invention provides a corrugated wire harness including the above-mentioned corrugated tube connected body and a wire harness inserted into the corrugated tube connected body.

[0008] The circumferential convex portion is formed in a convex shape that protrudes from the slit forming portion toward the other slit forming portion and is folded back toward one side in the circumferential direction. Note that it is preferable that the length of the circumferential convex portion along the axial direction is configured to be sufficiently shorter than the length of the corrugated tube along the axial direction.

[0009] The circumferential convex portion is not limited to a convex shape that protrudes toward the other side of the slit forming portion, and may have, for example, a rectangular, arcuate, triangular, etc. The circumferential convex portion may partially overlap the other slit forming portion.

[0010] The circumferential protrusion may be provided in a single portion along the axial direction, or in a plurality of portions along the axial direction. Furthermore, when a plurality of the circumferential convex portions are provided along the axial direction, the circumferential convex portions may be provided continuously along the axial direction or at predetermined intervals. In this case, the shapes of the plurality of circumferential convex portions provided along the axial direction may be the same or different. Note that when a plurality of the circumferential convex portions are provided at predetermined intervals, the intervals between the circumferential convex portions may be regular or irregular.

[0011] Similarly, the circumferential recess is formed in a recessed shape that is recessed from the slit forming portion as a base point in a direction away from the other slit forming portion. That is, the slit forming portion is configured to protrude toward the other side from the bottom of the circumferential recess as a base point.

[0012] The circumferential recess is not limited to a concave shape facing away from the other side of the slit forming portion, and includes, for example, a rectangular, arc-shaped, triangular, or other recessed shape facing away from the other slit forming portion.

[0013] The circumferential recess may be provided in a single shape along the axial direction, or in a plurality of shapes along the axial direction. Furthermore, when a plurality of the circumferential recesses are provided along the axial direction, the circumferential recesses may be provided continuously along the axial direction or at predetermined intervals. In this case, the shapes of the plurality of circumferential recesses provided along the axial direction may be the same or different. Furthermore, when a plurality of the circumferential recesses are provided at predetermined intervals, the intervals between the circumferential recesses may be regular or irregular.

[0014] The axial width of the circumferential convex portion is preferably the same from the base end to the tip end, and more preferably tapered from the base end to the tip end. Similarly, the circumferential concave portion is preferably the same from the base end (groove bottom side) to the tip end, and more preferably wider from the base end (groove bottom side) to the tip end. Preferably, the circumferential protrusion and the circumferential recess are located at least near the axial end of the slit-forming portion.

[0015] The circumferential recess may be continuous or discontinuous with the circumferential protrusion arranged along the axial direction. The small diameter corrugated tube may be singular or plural, i.e., the small diameter corrugated tube may be inserted into the end of the corrugated tube.

[0016] According to this invention, both axial side portions of the circumferential recess or the circumferential protrusion can be easily disposed on the radial inside or the radial outside of the other slit forming portion. That is, one of the slit forming portions can be easily guided to the radial inside or the radial outside of the other via the both axial side portions of the circumferential recess or the circumferential protrusion. Therefore, one of the slit forming portions can be easily rolled inward or outward in the radial direction.

[0017] This allows, for example, the diameter of the end of the corrugated tube through which the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted to be reduced, thereby reducing the gap at the boundary with the small-diameter corrugated tube, and thus preventing foreign matter from entering through the connecting portion between the corrugated tube and the small-diameter corrugated tube.

[0018] Furthermore, by reducing the diameter of the end of the corrugated tube, the outer diameter of the small diameter corrugated tube and the outer diameter of the corrugated tube can be made approximately the same diameter, so when wrapping tape around the boundary portion, the tape wrapping work can be performed more efficiently and the gap at the boundary portion between the corrugated tube and the small diameter corrugated tube can be more reliably reduced.

[0019] Furthermore, since the tape can be wrapped with approximately the same diameter, even when a wire harness inserted through the corrugated connector is routed in a vehicle or the like, even if the connector portion is bent due to curvature of the wire harness, it is possible to prevent a gap from occurring at the boundary between the corrugated tube and the small diameter corrugated tube.

[0020] Also, The slit forming portion has a wave shape in which a plurality of the circumferential protrusions are arranged along the axial direction, and the circumferential recesses are formed between the circumferential protrusions in the slit forming portion. It states that:

[0021] this composition According to the present invention, since the plurality of circumferential protrusions can be disposed radially inside or outside the other slit-forming portion, it is possible to more reliably wrap one of the slit-forming portions radially inside or outside the other slit-forming portion. This allows the end of the corrugated tube through which the end of the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted to be easily and reliably reduced in diameter along the outer periphery of the small-diameter corrugated tube. Therefore, it is possible to easily and reliably protect the wire harness leading out from the end of the corrugated tube at the connection portion between the corrugated tube and the small-diameter corrugated tube.

[0022] Furthermore, by forming a wave-like shape with multiple circumferential protrusions arranged along the axial direction, the other slit-forming portion and the circumferential protrusion can be brought into axial contact with each other at the start point of diameter reduction. This prevents one slit-forming portion from being positioned inside or outside the other on the side opposite the diameter reduction starting point when the end of the corrugated tube is reduced in diameter. This prevents unintentional diameter reduction on the side opposite the small-diameter corrugated tube side during diameter reduction, allowing for efficient diameter reduction of the end of the corrugated tube.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, at a predetermined position in the axial direction, by arranging the circumferential convex portion on the side where the small diameter corrugated tube is inserted on one side radially inside or outside the other slit forming portion, and arranging the circumferential convex portion on the opposite side on the other side of the other slit forming portion, it is possible to reliably reduce the diameter of only the small diameter corrugated tube side from the predetermined position.

[0024] child In one aspect of the present invention, the circumferential protrusion and the circumferential recess may be formed by folding back a straight line. According to this invention, the circumferential convex portion and the circumferential concave portion provided on one side of the slit forming portion can be prevented from hitting the end portion on the other side of the slit forming portion, so that the circumferential convex portion can be more easily guided radially outward or inward on the other side of the slit forming portion.

[0025] In another aspect of the present invention, the circumferential protrusion and the circumferential recess may be formed in a curved shape. According to this invention, during the process of reducing the diameter, the circumferential convex portion and the circumferential concave portion provided on one side of the slit forming portion can be prevented from hitting the end face on the other side of the slit forming portion, so that the circumferential convex portion can be more easily guided radially outward or inward on the other side of the slit forming portion.

[0026] Furthermore, even if the circumferential protrusion is guided to the inside of the slit forming portion and the end portion on the side where the small diameter corrugated tube is inserted is reduced in diameter, the wire harness inserted inside the corrugated tube can be prevented from interfering with the circumferential protrusion located radially inside.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, one of the slit forming portions on both sides that form the slit may be a one-side slit forming portion, and the other of the slit forming portions on both sides that form the slit may be an other-side slit forming portion that is provided with the circumferential recess and the circumferential protrusion corresponding to the circumferential protrusion and the circumferential recess in the one-side slit forming portion.

[0028] According to this invention, the circumferential protrusion provided on the one slit forming portion can be disposed inside the other slit forming portion, and the circumferential protrusion provided on the other slit forming portion can be disposed outside the one side, so that the diameter of the end of the corrugated tube can be reduced more easily and reliably, thereby making the work of reducing the diameter of the corrugated tube more efficient.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, one of the slit forming portions on both sides that form the slit may be a one-side slit forming portion, and the other of the slit forming portions on both sides that form the slit may be an other-side slit forming portion that is provided with the circumferential concave portion and the circumferential convex portion corresponding to the circumferential convex portion and the circumferential concave portion in the one-side slit forming portion, and the starting point of diameter reduction in the reduced diameter portion that is reduced in diameter by overlapping each other in the radial direction of the corrugated tube may be when the circumferential convex portions of the one-side slit forming portion and the other-side slit forming portion engage with each other in the axial direction.

[0030] According to this invention, the circumferential convex portion provided in the slit forming portion on one side corresponds to the circumferential concave portion provided in the slit forming portion on the other side, so that when the diameter of the end portion is reduced, the circumferential convex portion of the slit forming portion on one side can be prevented from interfering with the slit forming portion on the other side, making it easy to reduce the diameter.

[0031] Furthermore, because the circumferential protrusions on the one-side slit forming portion and the other-side slit forming portion can be locked together, it is possible to prevent one of the slit forming portions from being rolled inward or outward in the radial direction of the other slit forming portion on the side opposite to the side where the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted from the start point of diameter reduction, thereby preventing unintended diameter reduction of the corrugated tube on the side opposite to the start point.

[0032] In another aspect of the present invention, a tape may be wound across and fixed to the small-diameter corrugated tube and a reduced-diameter portion of the corrugated tube that is overlapped in the radial direction to reduce its diameter. This invention can regulate the relative position of the corrugated tube and the small-diameter corrugated tube, prevent the corrugated tube and the small-diameter corrugated tube from separating, and more reliably prevent a gap from occurring at the boundary between the corrugated tube and the small-diameter corrugated tube, thereby reliably protecting the wire harness that passes through the boundary. [Effects of the Invention]

[0033] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a corrugated tube and a corrugated tube connection body that can prevent foreign matter from entering through the connection portion with the small-diameter corrugated tube. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating a method for connecting the first corrugated structure and the second corrugated structure. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating a method for connecting the first corrugated structure and the second corrugated structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating a method for connecting the first corrugated structure and the second corrugated structure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of a corrugated tube connector. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of a corrugated tube connector. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the first corrugation; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The wire harness 1 with a corrugated tube of this embodiment has a structure in which a portion of a long wire harness WH is inserted into a corrugated tube manifold 10 that connects first corrugated tubes 20 and second corrugated tubes 30 having an inner diameter smaller than that of the first corrugated tubes 20. Hereinafter, the wire harness 1 with a corrugated tube, the corrugated tube manifold 10, and the first corrugated tubes 20 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

[0036] Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of the wire harness 1 with a corrugated tube, and Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show explanatory views for explaining the structures of the first corrugated tubes 20 and the second corrugated tubes 30. More specifically, Fig. 2(a) shows a schematic plan view of the first corrugated tubes 20, Fig. 2(b) shows a schematic front view of the first corrugated tubes 20, and Fig. 2(c) shows an enlarged schematic plan view of a portion α in Fig. 2(a). Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic plan view of the second corrugated tubes 30, and Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic front view of the second corrugated tubes 30.

[0037] 4 to 6 are schematic plan views illustrating a method for connecting the first corrugated grooves 20 and the second corrugated grooves 30. FIG. In detail, Figure 4(a) shows a schematic plan view of the first corrugated sheet 20 and the second corrugated sheet 30 before they are connected, and Figure 4(b) shows a schematic plan view of the state in which the second corrugated sheet 30 has been inserted into the first corrugated sheet 20.

[0038] Fig. 5(a) is a schematic plan view of the state in which the first circumferential protrusions 241 and the second circumferential protrusions 251 that form the wave-shaped slits 23 of the first corrugated grooves 20 are engaged with each other, and Fig. 5(b) is an enlarged schematic plan view of the β portion in Fig. 5(a). Fig. 6(a) is a schematic plan view of the state in which the tip portions of the first corrugated grooves 20 have been reduced in diameter to be approximately equal to the inner diameter of the second corrugated grooves 30, and Fig. 6(b) is an enlarged schematic plan view of the γ portion in Fig. 6(a).

[0039] 4 to 6, the base end portions of the second corrugated plates 30 inserted into the first corrugated plates 20 are indicated by dotted lines and are shown as transparent for convenience. In addition, in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, of the first slit forming portions 24 and second slit forming portions 25 that form the corrugated slits 23, the first slit forming portions 24 and second slit forming portions 25 that are arranged on the radially inner side are indicated by dotted lines and are shown as transparent for convenience, thereby making their positions on the radially inner side clear.

[0040] 7(a) shows a simplified end view of the AA end face in FIG. 6(a), FIG. 7(b) shows a simplified end view of the BB end face in FIG. 6(a), FIG. 8(a) shows a simplified end view of the CC end face in FIG. 6(a), and FIG. 8(b) shows a simplified end view of the DD end face in FIG. 6(a).

[0041] 1, the longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube connected body 10 is designated as the axial direction L, the upper side in FIG. 1 is designated as the base end side Lb, and the lower side in FIG. 1 is designated as the tip end side Lf. The directions in FIG. 1 also apply to FIGS. 2 to 8.

[0042] Also, a view seen from the base end side Lb along the axial direction L is taken as a front view.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 1, the corrugated tube-equipped wire harness 1 has a structure in which a wire harness WH to be installed in a vehicle is inserted inside a corrugated tube connected body 10 that connects first corrugated tubes 20 and second corrugated tubes 30. In this way, the wire harness WH can be protected by the corrugated tube connected body 10.

[0044] The wire harness WH is composed of a first harness WH1 that passes through the inside of the corrugated tube coupled body 10 and a second harness WH2 that are connected to each other via a joint terminal (not shown) inside the first corrugated tube 20 that constitutes the base end side Lb of the corrugated tube coupled body 10. That is, the wire harness WH having a larger diameter than the first harness WH1 is led out from the end of the base end side Lb of the corrugated tube coupled body 10, and the first harness WH1 having a smaller diameter than the wire harness WH is led out from the end of the tip end side Lf of the first corrugated tube 20 that constitutes the corrugated tube coupled body 10.

[0045] In this embodiment, the second harness WH2 is structured to be connected inside the first corrugated wire 20 via a joint terminal, but this structure is not limited to this. For example, the second harness WH2 constituting the wire harness WH may be led out from the central portion of the first corrugated wire 20 to the outside.

[0046] The corrugated tube connected body 10 has a structure in which the base end side Lb of the second corrugated tube 30 is inserted into the tip end side Lf of the first corrugated tube 20, and the diameter of the first corrugated tube 20 is reduced so that the inner diameter of the end of the tip end side Lf of the first corrugated tube 20 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the second corrugated tube 30, thereby connecting the first corrugated tube 20 and the second corrugated tube 30. The connecting portion of the first corrugated tube 20 and the second corrugated tube 30 in the corrugated tube connected body 10 is fixed by winding a fixing tape T (see FIG. 1).

[0047] The first corrugated tube 20 is a cylindrical corrugated tube made of resin with an insertion space inside, and as shown in Figure 2, it has a flexible bellows structure in which first outer peripheral convex portions 21, which protrude radially outward along the entire outer peripheral surface, and first outer peripheral concave portions 22, which recess radially inward along the entire outer peripheral surface, are alternately arranged along the axial direction L.

[0048] The first outer peripheral protrusion 21 is configured to have a protruding shape along the circumferential direction. The first outer peripheral recess 22 is formed in a recessed shape along the circumferential direction and has an inner diameter slightly larger than that of the wire harness WH bundling the first harness WH1 and the second harness WH2. The first outer peripheral protrusion 21 protrudes radially outward beyond the first outer peripheral recess 22.

[0049] The first corrugated 20, in which the first outer peripheral convex portions 21 and the first outer peripheral concave portions 22 are arranged alternately along the axial direction L, has a wavy slit 23 formed by cutting one location on the outer surface in a wavy shape along the axial direction L from the end on the base end side Lb to the end on the tip end side Lf.

[0050] The wavy slit 23 is formed by cutting a portion of the outer surface of the first corrugated sheet 20 along the thickness direction of the sheet, and when viewed in a plan view, has a sinusoidal shape in which sine curves having a constant amplitude and a predetermined period are continuously repeated along the axial direction L.

[0051] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(c), this wavy slit 23 is formed by a first slit forming portion 24 on one circumferential side of the wavy slit 23 (the left side in Figure 2(a)) and a second slit forming portion 25 on the other circumferential side of the wavy slit 23 (the right side in Figure 2(a)).

[0052] In Figure 2(c), in order to clarify the configuration of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25, for convenience the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 are shown spaced apart by a predetermined distance, but in reality the end faces of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 abut against each other.

[0053] 2(a), the first slit forming portion 24 is provided with first circumferential protrusions 241 that protrude toward the other circumferential side (the second slit forming portion 25 side) and are folded back in the circumferential direction, and first circumferential recesses 242 that are recessed toward one circumferential side, alternately and continuously along the axial direction L. In other words, the continuous first circumferential protrusions 241 and first circumferential recesses 242 form a sine curve having a predetermined amplitude.

[0054] When viewed in a plane, the first circumferential convex portion 241 protrudes so as to gradually incline toward one side in the circumferential direction as it moves toward one side along the axial direction L, and gradually curves as it approaches the apex portion, and as it moves toward one side along the axial direction L from the apex, it gradually inclines toward the other side in the circumferential direction so as to be symmetrical with the other side in the axial direction L. The width of the first circumferential protrusion 241 along the axial direction L (the length along the axial direction L) is configured to be sufficiently shorter than the length of the first corrugations 20 along the axial direction L.

[0055] When viewed in a plane, the first circumferential recess 242 is recessed so that it gradually slopes toward the other circumferential side as it moves toward one side along the axial direction L, and is gently curved as it approaches the groove bottom portion, and as it moves from the groove bottom toward one side along the axial direction L, it gradually slopes toward one circumferential side in a symmetrical manner with the other side in the axial direction L.

[0056] As described above, the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the first circumferential concave portion 242 configured in this manner are arranged continuously along the axial direction L. That is, the first slit-forming portion 24 is configured in a sinusoidal wave shape that repeats a predetermined amplitude along the axial direction L in a plan view.

[0057] The second slit forming portion 25, like the first slit forming portion 24, is provided with alternating second circumferential protrusions 251 that protrude toward one circumferential side (the first slit forming portion 24 side) and are folded back toward the circumferential direction, and second circumferential recesses 252 that are recessed toward one circumferential side. In other words, the continuous second circumferential protrusions 251 and second circumferential recesses 252 form a sine curve having a predetermined amplitude.

[0058] The second circumferential protrusion 251 has the same shape as the first circumferential protrusion 241, except that it protrudes toward the other circumferential side. Similarly, the second circumferential recess 252 has the same shape as the first circumferential protrusion 241, except that it is recessed toward one circumferential side.

[0059] The second circumferential convex portion 251 and the second circumferential concave portion 252 configured in this manner are arranged continuously along the axial direction L, similar to the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the first circumferential concave portion 242. That is, the second slit forming portion 25 is configured in a sinusoidal wave shape that repeats a predetermined amplitude along the axial direction L in a plan view.

[0060] In this way, the first slit forming portion 24 having the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the first circumferential recess 242, and the second slit forming portion 25 having the second circumferential convex portion 251 and the second circumferential recess 252 are arranged so that the second circumferential recess 252 corresponds to the first circumferential convex portion 241, and so that the second circumferential convex portion 251 corresponds to the first circumferential recess 242, when not intentionally deformed (see Figures 2(a) and 2(c)).

[0061] Therefore, the wave-shaped slit 23 formed by the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 has a constant amplitude and a sinusoidal shape in which sine curves having a predetermined period are continuously repeated along the axial direction L.

[0062] When no external force is applied to the first corrugated sheet 20, as shown in Figure 2(b), the first end face 24a, which is the circumferential end face of the first slit forming portion 24 that forms the wavy slit 23, and the second end face 25a, which is the circumferential end face of the second slit forming portion 25 that forms the wavy slit 23, abut against each other.

[0063] The first corrugated sheet 20 configured in this manner has a wavy slit 23 extending circumferentially along the axial direction L, allowing the first harness WH1 and the second harness WH2 to be inserted from the radial outside into the insertion space formed inside the first corrugated sheet 20 through the wavy slit 23.

[0064] The second corrugated tube 30 is a cylindrical corrugated tube made of resin with an insertion space therein, and as shown in FIG. 3, has a flexible bellows structure in which second large diameter sections 31 whose outer circumferential surface protrudes radially outward along the entire circumference and second small diameter sections 32 whose outer circumferential surface is recessed radially inward along the entire circumference are alternately arranged along the axial direction L.

[0065] The second large diameter portion 31 has an outer diameter that is approximately half the inner diameter of the first outer peripheral recess 22. The second small diameter portion 32, which is recessed radially inward from the second large diameter portion 31, has an inner diameter slightly larger than that of the first harness WH1. In other words, the second corrugated tube 30 is configured so that the first harness WH1 can be inserted therethrough and can also be inserted into the first corrugated tube 20.

[0066] In this way, the second corrugated 30, in which the second large diameter sections 31 and the second small diameter sections 32 are arranged alternately along the axial direction L, has a linear slit 33 formed by cutting one point on the outer surface in a straight line along the axial direction L from the end on the base end side Lb to the end on the tip end side Lf.

[0067] The linear slits 33 are formed to penetrate the outer peripheral surface of the second corrugated tube 30 in the thickness direction. That is, the linear slits 33 formed along the axial direction L of the second corrugated tube 30 can be expanded in the circumferential direction, so that the first harness WH1 can be inserted into an insertion space formed inside the second corrugated tube 30 through the linear slits 33.

[0068] When no external force is applied to the second corrugations 30, the slit end faces 30a, which are the circumferential end faces of the second corrugations 30 that form the linear slits 33, abut against each other, as shown in Figure 3(b).

[0069] Next, a method for connecting the first corrugated structures 20 and the second corrugated structures 30 thus configured will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. First, at the base end side Lb of the wire harness WH, corrugated slits 23 are opened in the circumferential direction, and the first corrugated wire 20 is attached to the wire harness WH (first harness WH1 and second harness WH2). Then, at the tip end side Lf of the wire harness WH, more specifically, at the tip end side Lf of the wire harness WH beyond the joint terminal of the connected second harness WH2, linear slits 33 are opened in the circumferential direction, and the second corrugated wire 30 is attached to the first harness WH1 (see FIG. 4(a)). The order in which the first corrugated sheets 20 and the second corrugated sheets 30 are attached to the wire harness WH is not particularly limited, and they may be attached at the same time, or the second corrugated sheets 30 may be attached first.

[0070] Next, the second corrugated wire 30 is moved along the first harness WH1 to the base end side Lb of the first corrugated wire 20, inside which the joint terminal of the connected second harness WH2 is arranged, and the base end side Lb of the second corrugated wire 30 is inserted into the first corrugated wire 20 (see Figure 4(b)).

[0071] Then, at a desired position in the first corrugated sheet 20 with the second corrugated sheet 30 inserted into the tip side Lf, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the first circumferential convex portion 241 (referred to as the first circumferential convex portion 241a) is arranged radially outside the second circumferential concave portion 252 (referred to as the second circumferential concave portion 252a), and the second circumferential convex portions 251 (referred to as the second circumferential convex portion 251a and the second circumferential convex portion 251b, respectively) are arranged radially outside the first circumferential concave portions 242 (referred to as the first circumferential concave portion 242a and the first circumferential concave portion 242b, respectively) adjacent to both outsides of the first circumferential convex portion 241a in the axial direction L.

[0072] In this way, by arranging the first circumferential protrusion 241a radially outward of the second circumferential recess 252a and arranging the second circumferential protrusion 251a and the second circumferential protrusion 251b radially outward of the first circumferential recess 242a and the first circumferential recess 242b adjacent to both ends of the first circumferential protrusion 241a in the axial direction L, the second circumferential protrusion 251a and the second circumferential protrusion 251b can be engaged with the first circumferential protrusion 241a along the axial direction L.

[0073] In this way, when the second circumferential protrusion 251a and the second circumferential protrusion 251b are engaged with the first circumferential protrusion 241a along the axial direction L, the first circumferential protrusion 241 on the tip side Lf of the first circumferential protrusion 241a is positioned on the outer peripheral surface on the other circumferential side of the second slit forming portion 25 in the first corrugated sheet 20, and the second circumferential protrusion 251 on the tip side Lf of the second circumferential protrusion 251a is positioned on the inner peripheral surface on the other circumferential side of the second slit forming portion 25 in the first corrugated sheet 20.

[0074] Here, the first circumferential protrusion 241 protrudes to the other circumferential side, and the second circumferential protrusion 251 protrudes to one circumferential side, so when the second slit forming portion 25 is pressed radially inward and slid radially inward of the first slit forming portion 24, the first circumferential protrusion 241 and the second circumferential protrusion 251 can be prevented from getting caught on the second end face 25a or the first end face 24a.

[0075] As a result, on the tip side Lf of the first circumferential protrusion 241a, the first circumferential protrusion 241 can be easily disposed radially outside the second slit forming portion 25, and the second circumferential protrusion 251 can be easily disposed radially inside the first slit forming portion 24. Therefore, with the engagement point between the first circumferential protrusion 241a and the second circumferential protrusion 251a as the diameter reduction start point P, the tip side Lf of the first slit forming portion 24 can be narrowed and reduced in diameter so that the tip side Lf of the first slit forming portion 24 has approximately the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of the second corrugated tube 30 (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0076] In this way, by reducing the diameter of the tip end side Lf of the first slit forming portion 24 so that the inner diameter of the tip end side Lf of the first slit forming portion 24 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the second corrugated structure 30, the first corrugated structure 20 and the second corrugated structure 30 can be connected while preventing gaps from being formed between the first corrugated structure 20 and the second corrugated structure 30. Then, by winding the connecting portion between the first corrugated structure 20 and the second corrugated structure 30 with the fixing tape T, the first corrugated structure 20 and the second corrugated structure 30 can be reliably connected (see FIG. 1 ).

[0077] In the corrugated tube connecting body 10 in which the first corrugated tube 20 and the second corrugated tube 30 are connected in this manner, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first end face 24a and the second end face 25a abut on the base end side Lb of the second circumferential recess 252b (see Figure 7(a)).

[0078] On the other hand, at the diameter reduction start point P where the diameter of the first corrugated groove 20 starts to reduce, the first circumferential protrusion 241a is disposed radially outward of the second circumferential recess 252a as shown in Fig. 7(b). Also, the second circumferential protrusion 251a is disposed radially outward of the first circumferential recess 242a adjacent to the tip side Lf of the first circumferential protrusion 241a (see Fig. 8(a)).

[0079] At the end of the tip side Lf of the first corrugates 20, the second slit forming portions 25 are disposed on one circumferential side on the radially inner side of the first corrugates 20, and the first slit forming portions 24 are disposed on the other circumferential side on the radially outer side of the first corrugates 20. In other words, the first corrugates 20 are partially overlapped, and the diameter thereof is reduced to be substantially equal to the outer diameter of the second corrugates 30 (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0080] This allows the wire harness WH to be inserted through the corrugated tube assembly 10 in which the first corrugated tube 20 and the second corrugated tube 30 having different inner diameters are connected, and the wire harness WH can be reliably protected by the corrugated tube assembly 10.

[0081] In this way, the cylindrical first corrugated groove 20, in which the first outer peripheral convex portions 21, which are convex along the circumferential direction, and the first outer peripheral concave portions 22, which are concave along the circumferential direction, are alternately arranged in the axial direction L, is provided with wave-shaped slits 23 that divide a part of the circumferential direction along the axial direction L. The first slit forming portions 24 and the second slit forming portions 25, which are circumferential ends that form the wave-shaped slits 23, are provided with first circumferential convex portions 241 and second circumferential convex portions 251 that protrude toward the other side and are folded back in the circumferential direction, and first circumferential concave portions 242 and second circumferential concave portions 252 that are formed by recessing in the circumferential direction on the inside of the ends in the axial direction L.

[0082] The corrugated tube connector 10 also includes a first corrugated tube 20 and a second corrugated tube 30 having a smaller diameter than the first corrugated tube 20. The end of the base end side Lb of the second corrugated tube 30 is inserted into the end of the tip end side Lf of the first corrugated tube 20. At the tip end side Lf of the first corrugated tube 20, portions of the circumferential direction separated by the wave-shaped slits 23 are overlapped radially, and the diameter is reduced along the outer periphery of the inserted tip end side Lf. The corrugated tube-equipped wire harness 1 is composed of the corrugated tube connected body 10 and the wire harness WH inserted into the corrugated tube connected body 10.

[0083] This makes it possible to easily arrange the second circumferential convex portion 251 and the first circumferential convex portion 241 on the radially inner side of the first slit forming portion 24 and the radially outer side of the second slit forming portion 25. That is, the second slit forming portion 25 can be easily guided to the inner circumference of the first slit forming portion 24 and the first slit forming portion 24 can be easily guided to the outer circumference of the second slit forming portion 25 via the second circumferential convex portion 251 or the first circumferential convex portion 241. Therefore, the first slit forming portion 24 can be easily wound radially outward on the other circumferential side of the wave-shaped slits 23 in the first corrugated fiber 20, and the second slit forming portion 25 can be easily wound radially inward on one circumferential side of the wave-shaped slits 23 in the first corrugated fiber 20.

[0084] This reduces the diameter of the end portion on the tip side Lf of the first corrugated sheets 20 through which the second corrugated sheets 30 are inserted, thereby reducing the gap at the boundary between the first corrugated sheets 20 and the second corrugated sheets 30. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from entering through the connecting portion with the second corrugated sheets 30.

[0085] Furthermore, by reducing the diameter of the end of the first corrugated sheet 20, the outer diameter of the second corrugated sheet 30 and the outer diameter of the first corrugated sheet 20 can be made approximately the same diameter, so when wrapping tape around the boundary portion, the tape wrapping operation can be performed more efficiently and the gap at the boundary portion between the first corrugated sheet 20 and the second corrugated sheet 30 can be more reliably reduced.

[0086] Furthermore, since the tape can be wrapped with approximately the same diameter, even when the wire harness WH inserted through the corrugated connector is routed in a vehicle or the like, even if the connector portion is bent due to curvature of the wire harness WH, it is possible to prevent a gap from occurring at the boundary between the first corrugated connector 20 and the second corrugated connector 30.

[0087] In addition, the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 are wavy with a plurality of first circumferential convex portions 241 and second circumferential convex portions 251 arranged along the axial direction L, and the first circumferential concave portions 242 and the second circumferential concave portions 252 are formed between the first circumferential convex portions 241 and the second circumferential convex portions 251 in the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25.

[0088] This allows the multiple first circumferential protrusions 241 to be disposed radially outward of the first corrugated structure 20 on the other circumferential side of the corrugated slits 23 in the first corrugated structure 20, and the second circumferential protrusions 251 to be disposed radially inward of the first corrugated structure 20 on one circumferential side of the corrugated slits 23 in the first corrugated structure 20. This makes it possible to more reliably wrap the first slit-forming portions 24 radially outward of the first corrugated structure 20 on the other circumferential side of the corrugated slits 23 in the first corrugated structure 20, and to wrap the second slit-forming portions 25 radially inward of the first corrugated structure 20 on one circumferential side of the corrugated slits 23 in the first corrugated structure 20. This allows the end of the first corrugated structure 20, through which the end of the second corrugated structure 30 is inserted, to be easily and reliably reduced in diameter along the outer periphery of the second corrugated structure 30. This therefore makes it possible to easily and reliably protect the first harness WH1 leading out from the end of the first corrugated structure 20 at the connection portion between the first corrugated structure 20 and the second corrugated structure 30.

[0089] Furthermore, by forming the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 in a wave shape with a plurality of first circumferential convex portions 241 and second circumferential convex portions 251 arranged along the axial direction L, the first circumferential convex portions 241 constituting the first slit forming portion 24 and the second circumferential convex portions 251 constituting the second slit forming portion 25 can be brought into contact with each other along the axial direction L at a diameter reduction start point P, which is a start point for diameter reduction. Therefore, when the end portion of the first corrugated fiber 20 is reduced in diameter, the first circumferential convex portions 241 and the second circumferential convex portions 251 are prevented from being positioned radially inward and outward on the opposite side from the diameter reduction start point P. Therefore, unintentional diameter reduction of the base end side Lb of the first corrugated fiber 20 can be prevented, and the diameter reduction operation of the end portion of the first corrugated fiber 20 can be performed efficiently.

[0090] Furthermore, at a predetermined position (diameter reduction start point P) in the axial direction L, the first circumferential convex portion 241a is positioned radially outside the second circumferential recess 252a, the second circumferential convex portion 251a on the side where the second corrugated sheet 30 is inserted is positioned radially inside the first circumferential recess 242a, and the second circumferential convex portion 251b is positioned on one side of the first circumferential recess 242b, thereby ensuring that only the second corrugated sheet 30 side is reduced in diameter from the predetermined position (diameter reduction start point P).

[0091] Furthermore, since the first circumferential convex portion 241, the second circumferential convex portion 251 and the first circumferential recess 242, the second circumferential recess 252 are formed in a curved shape, the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 can be prevented from hitting the end faces of the second circumferential recess 252 and the first circumferential recess 242 during the process of reducing the diameter of the tip side Lf of the first corrugated sheet 20, and therefore the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 can be more easily guided radially outward and inward.

[0092] Furthermore, even if the second circumferential protrusion 251 is guided radially inward of the first corrugated gate 20 on one circumferential side of the wavy slit 23 in the first corrugated gate 20 and the end portion of the tip side Lf is reduced in diameter, the first harness WH1 passing through the inside of the first corrugated gate 20 can be prevented from interfering with the second circumferential protrusion 251 arranged radially inward of the first corrugated gate 20.

[0093] Furthermore, the second slit forming portion 25 has the second circumferential recesses 252 and the second circumferential protrusions 251 arranged in correspondence with the first circumferential protrusions 241 and the first circumferential recesses 242 in the first slit forming portion 24. This allows the second circumferential protrusions 251 provided in the second slit forming portion 25 to be arranged inside the first slit forming portion 24, and the first circumferential protrusions 241 provided in the first slit forming portion 24 to be arranged outside the second slit forming portion 25, making it possible to more easily and reliably reduce the diameter of the ends of the first corrugated tubes 20. This therefore makes it possible to more efficiently reduce the diameter of the first corrugated tubes 20.

[0094] Furthermore, the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 are engaged along the axial direction L at the diameter reduction start point P in the diameter reduction portion of the first corrugated fiber 20, which is formed by overlapping the first corrugated fiber 20 in the radial direction. This prevents one of the first slit forming portions 24 and the second slit forming portions 25 from being rolled inward or outward in the radial direction of the other on the side opposite to the side where the second corrugated fiber 30 is inserted from the diameter reduction start point P. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first corrugated fiber 20 from unintentionally reducing in diameter on the side opposite to the start point P.

[0095] Furthermore, by wrapping and fixing the tape across the reduced diameter portion of the first corrugated grooves 20, which is overlapped in the radial direction and reduced in diameter, and the second corrugated grooves 30, the relative positions of the first corrugated grooves 20 and the second corrugated grooves 30 can be regulated. This prevents the first corrugated grooves 20 and the second corrugated grooves 30 from separating, and more reliably prevents a gap from occurring at the boundary between the first corrugated grooves 20 and the second corrugated grooves 30. This ensures that the wire harness WH passing through the boundary can be protected.

[0096] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The outer peripheral protrusion corresponds to the first outer peripheral protrusion 21, and similarly The outer circumferential recess corresponds to the first outer circumferential recess 22, The axial direction corresponds to the axial direction L, The corrugated tube is compatible with Daiichi Corrugated 20. The slit corresponds to the corrugated slit 23, The slit forming portion corresponds to the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25, The circumferential protrusions correspond to the first circumferential protrusion 241 and the second circumferential protrusion 251, The circumferential recesses correspond to the first circumferential recess 242 and the second circumferential recess 252; The one-side slit forming portion corresponds to the first slit forming portion 24, The other slit forming portion corresponds to the second slit forming portion 25, The small diameter corrugated tube corresponds to the second corrugated tube 30, The corrugated tube connector corresponds to the corrugated tube connector 10, The diameter reduction start point corresponds to the diameter reduction start point P, The wire harness is compatible with the WH wire harness. The corrugated wire harness corresponds to the corrugated tube-equipped wire harness 1, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0097] For example, in this embodiment, the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 that form the wavy slit 23 are each provided with a first circumferential convex portion 241 and a first circumferential concave portion 242, a second circumferential convex portion 251 and a second circumferential concave portion 252, so that the shapes of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 are wavy, but are not limited to this shape.

[0098] For example, the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 may be rectangular or triangular circumferential convex portions that protrude toward the opposing circumferential side, and the first circumferential recess 242 and the second circumferential recess 252 may be rectangular or triangular circumferential recesses that protrude away from the opposing circumferential side. In addition, it is preferable that the first circumferential convex portion 241 provided in the first slit forming portion 24 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 provided in the second slit forming portion 25 have a shape that tapers as it approaches the other circumferential side.

[0099] In this way, since the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 and the first circumferential recess 242 and the second circumferential recess 252 are formed by folding back a straight line, the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251, the first circumferential recess 242 and the second circumferential recess 252 provided in the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 can be prevented from hitting the other end portions of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25, and therefore the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the second circumferential convex portion 251 can be more easily guided radially outward or inward on the other side of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25.

[0100] Furthermore, for example, in this embodiment, the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 that form the wavy slit 23 are each formed in a wave shape, but it is not necessary that both the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 be formed in a wave shape. As shown in FIG. 9, a first circumferential convex portion 241 and a first circumferential concave portion 242 may be provided only in the first slit forming portion 24, and the second slit forming portion 25 may be formed in a straight line. Here, Fig. 9 shows a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the first corrugates 20. In Fig. 9, the same components as those in this embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0101] Here, in the first corrugated sheet 20 shown in Figure 9(a), the first circumferential convex portion 241 overlaps the radial outside of the linear second slit forming portion 25, and the second slit forming portion 25 is configured to be positioned at a position corresponding to the groove bottom of the first circumferential concave portion 242. The portion formed in a wave shape is not limited to the first slit forming portion 24, and may be formed in at least one of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first slit forming portion 24 is formed by both the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the first circumferential concave portion 242, but as shown in Fig. 9(b), the first slit forming portion 24 may be provided with only one of the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the first circumferential concave portion 242. Specifically, the first corrugated member 20 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 9(b) has linear wave-shaped slits 23 formed therein, and of the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 that form the wave-shaped slits 23, the first slit forming portion 24 has a plurality of discontinuous first circumferential convex portions 241 that protrude toward the second slit forming portion 25.

[0103] Here, in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the first circumferential convex portion 241 is configured to partially overlap the second slit forming portion 25 which is formed in a straight line, but the first circumferential convex portion 241 may also be configured not to overlap the second slit forming portion 25.

[0104] In the present embodiment, the first slit forming portion 24 and the second slit forming portion 25 are each provided with a plurality of first circumferential convex portions 241 and first circumferential concave portions 242, and a plurality of second circumferential convex portions 251 and second circumferential concave portions 252, which are arranged consecutively, but they do not necessarily have to be arranged consecutively, and they do not necessarily have to be arranged in plural. Furthermore, when a plurality of first circumferential convex portions 241 and first circumferential concave portions 242 and second circumferential convex portions 251 and second circumferential concave portions 252 are provided, the shapes of the first circumferential convex portions 241 and first circumferential concave portions 242 and the second circumferential convex portions 251 and second circumferential concave portions 252 may be different.

[0105] Furthermore, when a plurality of first circumferential convex portions 241 and first circumferential concave portions 242, and a plurality of second circumferential convex portions 251 and second circumferential concave portions 252 are provided, the spacing between the first circumferential convex portions 241 and the first circumferential concave portions 242, and the spacing between the second circumferential convex portions 251 and the second circumferential concave portions 252 may be regular as in this embodiment, or may be irregular.

[0106] In addition, when there is only one of the first circumferential convex portion 241 and the first circumferential concave portion 242, or at least one of the second circumferential convex portion 251 and the second circumferential concave portion 252, it is preferable that it be provided on the side where the second corrugate 30 is inserted.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one second corrugated tube 30 is inserted on the tip side Lf of the first corrugated tube 20, but a plurality of second corrugated tubes 30 may be inserted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Wire harness with corrugated tube 10 Corrugated tube connector 20 Daiichi Colgate 21 First outer peripheral convex portion 22 First outer peripheral recess 23 Wave slit 24 First slit forming section 25 Second slit forming section 30 Second Corrugated 241 First circumferential convex portion 242 First circumferential recess 251 Second circumferential convex portion 252 Second circumferential recess L axis direction P Diameter reduction start point WH Wire Harness

Claims

1. A cylindrical corrugated tube having circumferentially convex outer peripheral convex portions and circumferentially concave outer peripheral concave portions alternately arranged in the axial direction, and a small-diameter corrugated tube having a smaller diameter than the corrugated tube, The corrugated tube is A slit is provided to divide a part of the circumferential direction along the axial direction, At least one of the slit forming portions, which are the ends in the circumferential direction that form the slit, At least one of a circumferential protrusion that protrudes toward the other end and is folded back in the circumferential direction and a circumferential recess that is recessed in the circumferential direction on the inner side of the end in the axial direction, the slit forming portion is a wave-like portion in which a plurality of the circumferential convex portions are arranged along the axial direction, A portion between the circumferential protrusions in the slit formation portion is defined as a circumferential recess, An end of the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted into an end of the corrugated tube, The end of the corrugated tube on the side where the small-diameter corrugated tube is inserted is reduced in diameter along the outer periphery of the small-diameter corrugated tube by overlapping parts of the circumferential direction separated by the slits in the radial direction. Corrugated tube connector.

2. The circumferential convex portion and the circumferential concave portion are formed by folding back a straight line. The corrugated tube connector according to claim 1 .

3. The circumferential convex portion and the circumferential concave portion are formed in a curved shape. The corrugated tube connector according to claim 1 .

4. one of the slit forming portions on both sides that form the slit is designated as a one-side slit forming portion, The other of the slit forming portions on both sides that form the slit is an other-side slit forming portion that is provided with the circumferential concave portion and the circumferential convex portion corresponding to the circumferential convex portion and the circumferential concave portion in the one-side slit forming portion. The corrugated tube connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A diameter reduction start point in the reduced diameter portion of the corrugated tube, which is reduced in diameter by overlapping in the radial direction, is The circumferential protrusions of the one-side slit forming portion and the other-side slit forming portion are engaged with each other in the axial direction. The corrugated tube connector according to claim 4.

6. The tape is wound and fixed across the reduced diameter portion of the corrugated tube, which is overlapped in the radial direction to reduce the diameter, and the small diameter corrugated tube. The corrugated tube connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A corrugated tube connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a wire harness inserted inside the corrugated tube connector; Corrugated wire harness.

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