Wire harness protective material

Abstract

To provide a protective material for a wire harness that can achieve required protective performance while restraining an increase in the number of types of components.SOLUTION: A wire harness protective material 1 has a protective body 2 formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials 10, and a fixing portion 3 that fixes both end portions 2a of the protective body to each other in a state where the protective body is wrapped around the wire harness WH, and the plurality of sheet materials have the same material and the same shape. The plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material, the second sheet material is disposed at a position offset from the first sheet material in an axial direction X of the wire harness. The protective body is wrapped around the wire harness such that the inner surfaces of both end portions of the protective body face each other to form a mating surface extending in the axial direction X, and the fixing portion 3 fixes both end portions of the protective body to each other along a facing direction in which the inner surfaces of both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 face each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective material for a wire harness and a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a structure for protecting a wire harness. In Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a wire harness protection structure including a protective material that covers the outer periphery of the wire harness at a predetermined location, and a fixing adhesive tape having a starting end wound around the wire harness and fixed, and an ending end wound around the wire harness on the opposite side of the starting end with the protective material sandwiched therebetween after being wound around the outer periphery of the protective material and fixed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When manufacturing a dedicated protective material according to the required protective performance in a protective material for a wire harness, an increase in the types of members will occur. It is desirable to be able to manufacture a protective material according to the required protective performance while suppressing an increase in the types of members.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a protective material for a wire harness that can achieve the required protective performance while suppressing an increase in the types of members.

[0006] It is desirable to be able to streamline the process of attaching a protective material to a wire harness. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material that can streamline the process of attaching a protective material to a wire harness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The wire harness protective material of the present invention comprises a protective body composed of multiple overlapping sheet materials, and fixing parts that fix both ends of the protective body to each other when the protective body is wrapped around a wire harness, wherein the multiple sheet materials are of the same material and shape, and the multiple sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material, wherein the second sheet material is positioned offset from the first sheet material in the axial direction of the wire harness and partially overlaps the first sheet material, the protective body has an inner surface that faces the wire harness when wrapped around the wire harness, the protective body is wrapped around the wire harness such that the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective body face each other and form a mating surface that extends in the axial direction, and the fixing parts fix both ends of the protective body to each other along the opposing direction in which the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective body face each other.

[0008] The method for manufacturing a wire harness with protective material according to the present invention is characterized by including the steps of: placing a protective body, which is made up of multiple overlapping sheet materials, into a groove of a jig; housing a wire harness in the protective body placed in the groove; and attaching the protective body to the wire harness by fixing both ends of the protective body to each other with fixing parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the wire harness protective material according to the present invention, the plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material, wherein the second sheet material is positioned offset from the first sheet material in the axial direction of the wire harness and partially overlaps the first sheet material, and the fixing portion fixes both ends of the protective material to each other along the opposing direction in which the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective material face each other. The wire harness protective material according to the present invention has the effect of achieving the required protective performance while suppressing an increase in the number of types of components.

[0010] The wire harness manufacturing method according to the present invention has the effect of streamlining the process of attaching protective material to the wire harness. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view of a wire harness with protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wire harness with protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wire harness with protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sheet material according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the protective body according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a side view of the jig according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the protective body placed in the groove of the jig. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a side view showing the protective body placed in the groove of the jig. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a side view showing the wire harness housed in the protective enclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a side view showing a wire harness housed in a protective enclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a welding machine that forms a fixed part. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the sheet material according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet material according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a plan view of the sheet material according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a plan view of the sheet material according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows an example of how sheet materials are stacked. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a sheet material according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a front view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a protective material for a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a protective material for a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a side view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of how to stack the sheet materials. <000偶0100> [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a front view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a protector according to an embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a protector according to an embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a protector positioned by a positioning pin.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, a protective material for a wire harness and a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Also, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0013] [Embodiment] Embodiments will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 28. This embodiment relates to a protective material for wire harnesses and a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material. Figure 1 is a front view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a sheet material according to an embodiment, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a protective body according to an embodiment, Figure 6 is a side view of a jig according to an embodiment, Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a protective body placed in the groove of the jig, Figure 8 is a side view showing a protective body placed in the groove of the jig, Figure 9 is a side view showing a wire harness housed in the protective body, and Figure 10 is a side view showing a wire harness housed in the protective body.

[0014] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a welding machine for forming a fixed part, Figure 12 is a perspective view of the sheet material according to the embodiment, Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet material according to the embodiment, Figures 14 and 15 are plan views of the sheet material according to the embodiment, Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of how to stack the sheet materials, Figure 17 is a perspective view of the sheet material according to the embodiment, Figure 18 is a perspective view of the wire harness with protective material according to the embodiment, Figure 19 is a front view of the wire harness with protective material according to the embodiment, and Figure 20 is a perspective view of the wire harness with protective material according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figures 21 and 22 are perspective views of a protective material for a wire harness according to an embodiment, Figure 23 is a side view of a wire harness with protective material according to an embodiment, Figure 24 is a diagram showing an example of how sheet materials are stacked, Figure 25 is a front view of a wire harness with protective material according to an embodiment, Figures 26 and 27 are perspective views of a protective body according to an embodiment, and Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view of a protective body positioned by positioning pins. Figure 3 shows the III-III section of Figure 1. Figure 13 shows the XIII-XIII section of Figure 12.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wire harness with protective material WH1 of this embodiment comprises a wire harness WH and a protective material 1 for the wire harness. The wire harness WH has a plurality of electric wires W. The electric wires W are, for example, insulated electric wires. The protective material 1 for the wire harness is a member that is attached to the wire harness WH to protect the wire harness WH. The protective material 1 for the wire harness has a protective body 2 and a fixing part 3. The protective body 2 is wrapped around the outside of the wire harness WH to protect the wire harness WH. The fixing part 3 fixes the two ends 2a, 2a of the protective body 2 to each other.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3, the protective body 2 is composed of multiple overlapping sheet materials 10. One sheet material 10 overlaps with at least a portion of another sheet material 10. The fixing part 3 fixes the two ends 2a of the sheet materials 10 to each other along the opposing direction Op where the ends 2a of the sheet materials 10 face each other. The fixing part 3 is formed, for example, by welding. However, the fixing part 3 may also be a member attached to the protective body 2, for example, a clip or a fastening member.

[0018] In the wire harness protective material 1 of this embodiment, multiple sheet materials 10 are used, and the multiple sheet materials 10 are arranged offset in the axial direction of the wire harness WH. With this configuration, the wire harness protective material 1 can be realized according to the required protective performance by changing the combination of the same sheet materials 10. The protective performance of the wire harness protective material 1 includes properties such as rigidity, flexibility, impact resistance, and size. With the wire harness protective material 1 of this embodiment, there is no need to keep multiple types of protective materials with different protective performances in stock, thus simplifying inventory management.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, the sheet material 10 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape. The sheet material 10 is molded from a flexible, insulating synthetic resin. The material of the sheet material 10 is, for example, soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The illustrated sheet material 10 has a flat plate shape. The thickness t [mm] of the sheet material 10 is determined so that the sheet material 10 has appropriate flexibility and appropriate strength.

[0020] As shown in Figure 5, the protective body 2 is composed of multiple overlapping sheet materials 10. The multiple sheet materials 10 that make up the protective body 2 have the same material and shape. That is, the material and shape of one sheet material 10 that makes up the protective body 2 are the same as the material and shape of the other sheet materials 10 that make up the protective body 2. All sheet materials 10 have the same dimensions. For example, if the shape of the sheet material 10 is rectangular, the length and thickness t of the corresponding sides 11, 12 in the multiple sheet materials 10 are the same.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, the multiple sheet materials 10 overlap such that one sheet material 10 covers at least a portion of another sheet material 10. The illustrated rectangular sheet material 10 has a pair of first sides 11 and a pair of second sides 12. In the following description, the direction along the first side 11 will be referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction along the second side 12 will be referred to as the second direction D2. The first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are orthogonal to each other.

[0022] The protective body 2 in Figure 5 consists of multiple sheet materials 10, including a first sheet material 10A and a second sheet material 10B. In the protective body 2 shown in Figure 5, the second sheet material 10B is offset from the first sheet material 10A in the first direction D1. That is, the second side 12 of the second sheet material 10B is offset from the second side 12 of the first sheet material 10A in the first direction D1. As a result, the length L10 of the protective body 2 in the first direction D1 is longer than the length L1 of the first side 11 of a single sheet material 10. In other words, by overlapping multiple sheet materials 10 with an offset, a protective body 2 with a desired length L10 is realized. The protective body 2 may have three or more sheet materials 10. The number of sheet materials 10 constituting the protective body 2 is determined according to the required protective performance, etc.

[0023] The installation of the protective body 2 onto the wire harness WH is performed, for example, using a jig. Figure 6 shows an example of a jig used for installing the protective body 2. The jig 100 in Figure 6 is, for example, a jig plate. The jig 100 has a groove 110. The groove 110 may extend in a straight line or may have a curved portion. The shape of the groove 110 in plan view may be determined according to the shape of the wiring path of the wire harness WH.

[0024] The groove 110 is composed of a bottom wall 111 and a pair of side walls 112. The groove 110 has a width and depth that can accommodate the wire harness WH. The cross-sectional shape of the internal space of the illustrated groove 110 is substantially rectangular. The groove 110 has an opening 110a into which the protective body 2 and the wire harness WH are inserted.

[0025] A method for manufacturing a wire harness with protective material using jig 100 will be described. The method for manufacturing a wire harness with protective material includes the steps of placing the protective body 2, housing the wire harness WH, and fixing it.

[0026] In the process of placing the protective body 2, the protective body 2 is placed in the groove 110 of the jig 100. As shown in Figure 7, the protective body 2 is inserted into the groove 110 through the opening 110a with multiple sheet materials 10 overlapping. At this time, the protective body 2 is placed in the groove 110 such that the first direction D1 coincides with the extending direction of the groove 110. Therefore, the protective body 2 is placed in the groove 110 with the second sheet material 10B offset from the first sheet material 10A in the extending direction of the groove 110.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, the protective body 2 is placed in the groove 110 with its central portion flexed into a roughly U-shape. The first side 11 of the protective body 2 protrudes outside the groove 110. In other words, the protective body 2 is placed in the groove 110 such that its two ends 2a protrude from the groove 110. The placed protective body 2 has an opening 2e for receiving the wire harness WH. The jig 100 may have a holding structure that holds the two ends 2a to form the opening 2e.

[0028] In the process of housing the wire harness WH, the wire harness WH is housed in the protective body 2 placed on the groove 110. As shown in Figure 9, the wire harness WH is inserted into the protective body 2 from the opening 2e. The protective body 2 houses the wire harness WH in the portion that is bent in a roughly U-shape.

[0029] Figure 10 shows a protective body 2 containing a wire harness WH. The wire harness WH is placed on the protective body 2 such that it passes through the space enclosed by the protective body 2. The protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH so as to enclose it. The protective body 2 wrapped around the wire harness WH has an inner surface 2b that faces the wire harness WH. The protective body 2 is held by grooves 110 such that the inner surfaces 2b of both ends 2a of the protective body 2 face each other. The jig 100 may have a support structure that supports the ends 2a so that the inner surfaces 2b face each other. The protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH such that the openings of the multiple sheet materials 10 face the same direction.

[0030] The fixing process involves fixing both ends 2a of the protective body 2 to each other with fixing parts 3. The fixing parts 3 are formed, for example, by welding the two ends 2a together. The process of welding the ends 2a together is performed, for example, by a welding machine 200 as shown in Figure 11. The welding method by the welding machine 200 may be ultrasonic welding, heat welding, laser welding, or other methods. The welding machine 200, for example, clamps the two ends 2a together and melts the sheet material 10 with heat generated by ultrasonic waves or the like to form the fixing parts 3.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, a portion of the sheet material 10 melts to form the fixing portion 3. The protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH such that the inner surfaces 2b of both ends 2a face each other and form a mating surface that extends in the axial direction X. That is, the inner surfaces 2b of the multiple sheet materials 10 of the protective body 2 form a mating surface that extends in the axial direction X. When fixed by the fixing portion 3, the inner surfaces 2b of the two ends 2a face each other in the opposing direction Op.

[0032] The fixing portion 3 extends along the opposing direction Op from one end 2a to the other end 2a. In other words, the fixing portion 3 penetrates both ends 2a along the opposing direction Op. The formation of the fixing portion 3 closes the opening between the two ends 2a. As shown in Figure 3, multiple sheet materials 10 are fixed at the same location in the opening of the protective body 2.

[0033] Furthermore, when the protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH, the position of the end face 2c of the sheet material 10 may shift. This shift occurs, for example, due to the difference in the inner and outer circumference of the portion wrapped around the wire harness WH. The end face 2c of the sheet material 10 that is relatively on the inside will protrude relative to the end face 2c of the sheet material 10 that is relatively on the outside.

[0034] The wire harness protective material 1 may have multiple fixing parts 3, as shown in Figure 2. The multiple fixing parts 3 shown in Figure 2 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH. The multiple fixing parts 3 may be arranged at equal intervals. In the portion between two fixing parts 3, the two ends 2a can slide against each other or separate from each other. Also, if multiple sheet materials 10 overlap in the section between two fixing parts 3, the multiple sheet materials 10 can slide against each other or separate from each other. Therefore, the wire harness protective material 1 having multiple fixing parts 3 can be bent flexibly. In other words, the wire harness protective material 1 having multiple fixing parts 3 has high conformability to the wire harness WH that is routed while bending.

[0035] The fixing part 3 secures both ends 2a to each other, thereby attaching the wire harness protective material 1 to the wire harness WH. This completes the production of the wire harness WH1 with protective material.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wire harness protective material 1 of this embodiment has a relatively low-rigidity portion 15 and a relatively high-rigidity portion 16. The high-rigidity portion 16 is composed of a relatively larger number of sheet materials 10 compared to the low-rigidity portion 15. For example, in the wire harness protective material 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the high-rigidity portion 16 is composed of a first sheet material 10A and a second sheet material 10B overlapping. In addition, in the high-rigidity portion 16, multiple sheet materials 10 are fixed to each other by fixing parts 3.

[0037] The low-rigidity portion 15 is composed of a relatively small number of sheet materials 10. For example, in the wire harness protective material 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the low-rigidity portion 15 is composed of either one first sheet material 10A or one second sheet material 10B. Because the low-rigidity portion 15 is composed of a small number of sheet materials 10, it has lower rigidity compared to the high-rigidity portion 16. In other words, the low-rigidity portion 15 has higher flexibility than the high-rigidity portion 16.

[0038] The high-rigidity portion 16 is provided, for example, in a portion of the wire harness WH that is routed in a straight line. The low-rigidity portion 15 is provided, for example, in a portion of the wire harness WH that is routed in a bend. The high-rigidity portion 16 may be provided in a portion where high protection performance is required.

[0039] The sheet material 10 may have concave and convex portions. Figures 12 and 13 show a sheet material 10 having a spherically curved portion 13. The sheet material 10 in Figure 12 has a plurality of curved portions 13. As shown in Figure 13, the curved portions 13 are curved toward one side in the thickness direction Z of the sheet material 10. One surface of the curved portion 13 is convex, and the other surface of the curved portion 13 is concave.

[0040] The rigidity and flexibility of the sheet material 10 can be adjusted by the arrangement of the curved portions 13. In the sheet material 10 shown in Figure 14, multiple curved portions 13 are arranged in a grid pattern. That is, the multiple curved portions 13 are arranged along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. When multiple curved portions 13 are arranged in a grid pattern, a region 18 with high flexibility is formed between adjacent curved portions 13. Such a sheet material 10 has high flexibility when wrapped around a wire harness WH.

[0041] In the sheet material 10 shown in Figure 15, multiple curved portions 13 are arranged alternately in a staggered pattern. The multiple curved portions 13 have a first row R1 and a second row R2. The first row R1 and the second row R2 have multiple curved portions 13 aligned in the first direction D1. The first row R1 and the second row R2 are offset from each other in the first direction D1. For example, in the first direction D1, the curved portions 13 of the second row R2 are positioned between two curved portions 13 of the first row R1.

[0042] The sheet material 10 in Figure 15 is wrapped around the wire harness WH, for example, with the portion along the first edge 11 as the end 2a. The sheet material 10, with multiple curved portions 13 arranged alternately, has high rigidity when wrapped around the wire harness WH. Such a sheet material 10 can improve the rigidity of the wire harness protective material 1 against bending. The sheet material 10 may have other rows in addition to the first row R1 and the second row R2. In other words, the sheet material 10 may have three or more rows of curved portions 13.

[0043] Sheet materials 10 having curved portions 13 may be stacked so that the curved portions 13 fit together. As shown in Figure 16, multiple sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the curved portion 13 of one sheet material 10 fits into the curved portion 13 of another sheet material 10. Alternatively, multiple sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the positions of the curved portions 13 are offset. In this case, a gap is formed between the two sheet materials 10, improving the rigidity and impact resistance of the wire harness protective material 1.

[0044] The protective body 2 may be wrapped around the wire harness WH with the convex surface of the curved portion 13 facing outwards. In this case, the contact between the surrounding components and the wire harness protective material 1 becomes a point contact, improving the wear resistance of the wire harness protective material 1. In addition, the small contact area with the surrounding components suppresses the generation of abnormal noise.

[0045] The shape of the curved portion provided in the sheet material 10 is not limited to a spherical shape. Figure 17 shows a sheet material 10 having a groove-shaped curved portion 14. The sheet material 10 has a plurality of curved portions 14. The curved portions 14 extend in a straight line and have an arc-shaped cross-section. The curved portions 14 in Figure 17 extend in the second direction D2. A predetermined interval is provided between two adjacent curved portions 14. The plurality of curved portions 14 are arranged at equal intervals along the first direction D1, for example.

[0046] The sheet material 10 can be wrapped around the wire harness WH, for example, with the portion along the second side 12 as the end 2a. In this case, the sheet material 10 can improve the rigidity of the wire harness protective material 1 against bending. Alternatively, the sheet material 10 may be wrapped around the wire harness WH with the portion along the first side 11 as the end 2a. In this case, the sheet material 10 can bend flexibly to follow the wire harness WH.

[0047] The sheet materials 10 having curved portions 14 can be stacked, for example, so that the curved portions 14 fit together. That is, in the protective body 2, multiple sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the curved portion 14 of one sheet material 10 fits into the curved portion 14 of another sheet material 10. Alternatively, multiple sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the positions of the curved portions 14 are offset. Furthermore, the multiple sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the curved portions 14 protrude in opposite directions from each other. For example, the multiple sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the convex surfaces of the curved portions 14 are in contact with each other, or they may be stacked so that the concave surfaces of the curved portions 14 are facing each other.

[0048] The wire harness protective material 1 may have a linearly positioned fixing portion 3. Figure 18 shows a wire harness protective material 1 having a linear fixing portion 3. The fixing portion 3 extends linearly along the axial direction X. The fixing portion 3 is provided, for example, from one end to the other in the axial direction X at the end 2a. The linear fixing portion 3 can improve the rigidity of the end 2a and improve the straightness of the wire harness WH.

[0049] Furthermore, the configuration of the fixing portion 3 provided on the high-rigidity portion 16 may differ from that of the fixing portion 3 provided on the low-rigidity portion 15. The configuration of the fixing portion 3 includes at least one of the following: the shape of the fixing portion 3, the arrangement of the fixing portion 3, or the number of fixing portions 3 per unit length. For example, as shown in Figure 19, the high-rigidity portion 16 may be provided with a linear fixing portion 3, while the low-rigidity portion 15 may be provided with a plurality of fixing portions 3 arranged at intervals.

[0050] In the high-rigidity section 16, the two ends 2a are fixed to each other by a single linearly extending fixing part 3. The shape of the fixing part 3 provided in the high-rigidity section 16 may be oval, rectangular, or any other shape. In the low-rigidity section 15, the two ends 2a are fixed to each other by a plurality of fixing parts 3 arranged at intervals. The shape of the fixing parts 3 provided in the low-rigidity section 15 may be point-shaped, circular, or any other shape.

[0051] As the fixing part 3, a fastening member 30 shown in Figure 20 may be used. The fastening member 30 is, for example, a member called a cable tie, and has a head portion 31 and a band portion 32. The band portion 32 is inserted through a through hole 2d provided in the end portion 2a of the protective body 2 and engages with the head portion 31. The fastening member 30 fixes the two ends 2a to each other along the opposing direction Op. The through hole 2d is formed in each sheet material 10 that constitutes the protective body 2. Multiple sheet materials 10 are stacked so that the through holes 2d face each other. The illustrated protective body 2 has multiple through holes 2d. The multiple through holes 2d are arranged at intervals along the axial direction X.

[0052] As the fixing part 3, a clip 40 as shown in Figures 21 and 22 may be used. The clip 40 is a fastening member also called a two-piece clip or push rivet. The clip 40 shown in Figures 21 and 22 has a head part 41, a pin 42, and a plurality of legs 43. The pin 42 passes through the head part 41. The pin 42 and the legs 43 are inserted through holes in the protective body 2. The clip 40 is configured so that the legs 43 spread out when the pin 42 is pushed in. The clip 40 sandwiches the sheet material 10 between the spread legs 43 and the head part 41 and fastens the two ends 2a of the protective body 2. The clip 40 fixes the two ends 2a to each other along the opposing direction Op.

[0053] When forming a linear fixing portion 3 as shown in Figure 18, a linear clip, such as a clip referred to as a hood clip or sealing clip, may be used. Figure 23 shows a side view of a protective body 2 fastened by a linear clip 50. The clip 50 has two retaining bodies 51 and an engaging structure 52. The clip 50 is molded from, for example, an insulating synthetic resin.

[0054] The retainer 51 holds the two ends 2a of the protective body 2 by sandwiching them. The two retainers 51 are formed in the shape of plates or rods and face each other in the opposing direction Op with the two ends 2a in between. The engagement structure 52 engages the two retainers 51. The engagement structure 52 is composed of, for example, an engagement arm 52a on one retainer 51 and a locking portion 52b on the other retainer 51. In this case, the locking portion 52b locks the engagement arm 52a in the opposing direction Op. The engagement structure 52 is positioned at both ends of the retainer 51 in the axial direction X. The clip 50 can fix the two ends 2a to each other along the opposing direction Op. In addition to both ends of the retainer 51, further engagement structures may be provided in the middle of the retainer 51.

[0055] Multiple sheet materials 10 having curved portions 14 may be stacked so that the direction of extension of the curved portions 14 is different. Figure 24 shows a protective body 2 in which the sheet materials are stacked so that the direction of extension of the curved portions 14 is different. The protective body 2 in Figure 24 has one first sheet material 10A and two second sheet materials 10B.

[0056] The two second sheet materials 10B are stacked on top of the first sheet material 10A, each offset in the axial direction X. One second sheet material 10B is offset to the first side X1 in the axial direction X relative to the first sheet material 10A. The other second sheet material 10B is offset to the second side X2 in the axial direction X relative to the first sheet material 10A.

[0057] The curved portion 14 of the first sheet material 10A extends in the axial direction X. The curved portion 14 of the second sheet material 10B extends in a direction perpendicular to the curved portion 14 of the first sheet material 10A. The first sheet material 10A overlaps a portion of the second sheet material 10B. The protective body 2, composed of the three sheet materials 10, is attached to the wire harness WH, for example, using a jig 100 and a welding machine 200.

[0058] Figure 25 shows a wire harness WH1 with protective material, which consists of a wire harness WH and the protective body 2 shown in Figure 24. As shown in Figure 25, the protective material 1 for the wire harness has a low-rigidity portion 15 and a high-rigidity portion 16. The high-rigidity portion 16 is made up of overlapping first sheet material 10A and second sheet material 10B. The low-rigidity portion 15 is made up of the second sheet material 10B.

[0059] In the first sheet material 10A, the curved portion 14 extends in the axial direction X. On the other hand, in the second sheet material 10B, the curved portion 14 extends in the circumferential direction so as to surround the wire harness WH. Therefore, in terms of rigidity against bending, the first sheet material 10A is more rigid than the second sheet material 10B. In other words, the highly rigid portion 16 has higher rigidity than the less rigid portion 15, in that it has at least the first sheet material 10A.

[0060] Furthermore, in the high-rigidity section 16, the first sheet material 10A and the second sheet material 10B overlap. In other words, the high-rigidity section 16 has higher rigidity than the low-rigidity section 15 because a relatively large number of sheet materials 10 overlap therein. Therefore, in the high-rigidity section 16, rigidity is improved by both the direction of extension of the curved section 14 and the number of sheet materials 10.

[0061] In the protective body 2 when attached to the wire harness WH, means may be used to suppress misalignment of the multiple sheet materials 10. For example, as shown in Figure 26, a welding portion 17 that welds the multiple sheet materials 10 together may be formed. The protective body 2 in Figure 16 has multiple welding portions 17. The welding portions 17 are formed to penetrate the protective body 2 along the stacking direction Ly in which the sheet materials 10 overlap. The welding portions 17 are arranged in the region where the multiple sheet materials 10 overlap.

[0062] The multiple welded portions 17 are arranged along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH when it is wrapped around the wire harness WH. In the protective body 2 of Figure 26, the multiple welded portions 17 are arranged in the second direction D2. In this case, the protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH so that the wire harness WH extends in the second direction D2. The welded portions 17 are located, for example, in the center of the protective body 2 in the second direction D2.

[0063] The welded portion 17 may be formed in a straight line, as shown in Figure 27. The welded portion 17 in Figure 27 extends along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH when it is wrapped around the wire harness WH. A straight welded portion 17 can improve the straightness of the wire harness protective material 1.

[0064] A means for suppressing misalignment of the sheet material 10 may be a positioning pin provided on the jig 100. Figure 28 shows a jig 100 having a positioning pin 113. The positioning pin 113 is positioned, for example, on the bottom wall 111. The illustrated positioning pin 113 protrudes from the bottom wall 111 toward the opening of the groove 110. The protective body 2 has through holes 2f into which the positioning pin 113 is inserted. The through holes 2f are positioned in the areas where the multiple sheet materials 10 overlap. A through hole 2f is provided in each sheet material 10. In other words, the multiple sheet materials 10 are stacked so that their through holes 2f face each other. The positioning pin 113 is inserted into the through holes 2f of each sheet material 10 to suppress misalignment of the multiple sheet materials 10.

[0065] According to the manufacturing method of the protective wire harness WH1 of this embodiment, complex operations such as wrapping tape spirally around the wire harness WH are unnecessary. Therefore, the efficiency of the manufacturing process for the protective wire harness WH1 is improved.

[0066] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the wire harness WH1 with protective material according to this embodiment, the operation of attaching multiple wire harness protective materials 1 to the wire harness WH can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In this case, in the step of placing the protective bodies 2, multiple protective bodies 2 may be placed in a single groove 110. The multiple protective bodies 2 may be placed, for example, at different positions along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH. Depending on the number of protective bodies 2 to be placed, multiple welding machines 200 may be arranged in a single groove 110. Alternatively, one welding machine 200 may perform welding on multiple protective bodies 2.

[0067] The jig 100 may have multiple grooves 110 corresponding to multiple protective bodies 2, and multiple welding machines 200 corresponding to each groove 110.

[0068] As described above, the wire harness protective material 1 of this embodiment comprises a protective body 2 and a fixing part 3. The protective body 2 is composed of multiple sheet materials 10 overlapping each other. The fixing part 3 fixes both ends 2a of the protective body 2 to each other when the protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH. The multiple sheet materials 10 are made of the same material and have the same shape. The multiple sheet materials 10 include a first sheet material 10A and a second sheet material 10B. The second sheet material 10B is positioned offset from the first sheet material 10A in the axial direction X of the wire harness WH and partially overlaps the first sheet material 10A.

[0069] The protective body 2 has an inner surface 2b that faces the wire harness WH when wrapped around the wire harness WH. The protective body 2 is wrapped around the wire harness WH such that the inner surfaces 2b of both ends 2a of the protective body 2 face each other and form a mating surface that extends in the axial direction X. The fixing part 3 fixes both ends 2a of the protective body 2 to each other along the opposing direction Op where the inner surfaces 2b of both ends 2a of the protective body 2 face each other. In the protective material 1 for wire harnesses according to this embodiment, protective materials with different required protective performance can be manufactured from the same sheet material 10. Therefore, according to the protective material 1 for wire harnesses of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of parts required for protective materials with different protective performance.

[0070] The fixing portion 3 may be formed by welding the sheet material 10 at both ends 2a of the protective body 2. In this case, the process of forming the fixing portion 3 can be automated and its efficiency improved. In the low-rigidity portion 15, the fixing portion 3 may be formed by welding the ends 2a of a single sheet material 10. In the high-rigidity portion 16, the fixing portion 3 may be formed by welding the ends 2a of multiple sheet materials 10.

[0071] In the wire harness protective material 1, multiple fixing parts 3 may be arranged at intervals along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH. In this case, the wire harness protective material 1 can be flexibly bent.

[0072] The method for manufacturing a wire harness with protective material according to this embodiment includes the steps of placing a protective body 2, housing a wire harness WH, and fixing the protective body 2. In the step of placing the protective body 2, the protective body 2, which is composed of multiple overlapping sheet materials 10, is placed in the groove portion 110 of the jig 100. In the step of housing the wire harness WH, the wire harness WH is housed in the protective body 2 placed in the groove portion 110. In the fixing step, both ends 2a of the protective body 2 are fixed to each other by the fixing portion 3, and the protective body 2 is attached to the wire harness WH. According to the method for manufacturing a wire harness with protective material according to this embodiment, the step of attaching the protective material to the wire harness WH is made more efficient.

[0073] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be combined and implemented as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 1: Protective material for wire harnesses 2: Protector, 2a: End, 2b: Inner surface, 2c: End surface, 2d: Through hole 2e: opening 3: Fixed part 10: Sheet material, 10A: First sheet material, 10B: Second sheet material 11: First side, 12: Second side 13,14: Curved section 15: Low-rigidity part, 16: High-rigidity part, 17: Welded part, 18: Area 30: Binding member, 31: Head part, 32: Band part 40: Clip, 41: Head, 42: Pin, 43: Leg 50: Clip, 51: Holder, 52: Engagement structure 100: Jig, 110: Groove, 113: Positioning pin 200: Welding machine D1: First direction, D2: Second direction Ly: stacking direction, Op: opposing direction, X: axial direction, Z: thickness direction W: Electric wire, WH: Wire harness, WH1: Wire harness with protective material

Claims

1. It comprises a protective body composed of multiple overlapping sheet materials, and fixing parts that secure both ends of the protective body to each other when the protective body is wrapped around a wire harness, Multiple sheet materials have the same material and the same shape, The plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material, The second sheet material is positioned offset from the first sheet material in the axial direction of the wire harness, and partially overlaps the first sheet material. The protective body has an inner surface that faces the wire harness when wrapped around the wire harness, The protective body is wrapped around the wire harness such that the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective body face each other and form mating surfaces that extend in the axial direction. The fixing portion fixes both ends of the protective body to each other along the opposing directions in which the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective body face each other. A protective material for wire harnesses characterized by the following features.

2. The fixing portion is formed by welding the sheet material at both ends of the protective body. The protective material for wire harnesses according to claim 1.

3. Multiple fixing parts are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the wire harness. A protective material for wire harnesses according to claim 1 or 2.

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