Wire harness and protector

Abstract

To provide a wire harness and a protector capable of enhancing workability.SOLUTION: A wire harness WH comprises: a wiring material W having electrical conductivity; an exterior material (e.g., corrugate tube C) into which the wiring material W is inserted; and a protector 1 furnished outside the wiring material W. The protector 1 has: a main body part 10 through which the wiring material W is inserted into an accommodation space part 10S formed by a wall part; a step part 100 formed in the accommodation space part 10S and located outside an insertion end part of the corrugated tube C while the corrugated tube C is inserted into the accommodation space part 10S; and an inclined portion 200 installed at the step part 100, and inclined with respect to an insertion direction X of the corrugated tube C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness and a protector.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a protector for a wire harness including a base member through which a conductive wiring material is inserted and a lid assembled to the base member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the protector described in Patent Document 1 above assembles the lid to the base member after inserting the wiring material into the base member. However, depending on the specifications, after assembling the lid, an exterior material (for example, a corrugated tube) may be attached to the wiring material inserted into the base member by inserting the end of the exterior material. In such a case, it is desired that the protector can attach the exterior material with good workability even when, for example, there is a step inside the protector.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wire harness and a protector that can improve workability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the wire harness according to the present invention comprises a conductive cable routing material, an outer material through which the cable routing material is inserted, and a protector that covers the cable routing material, wherein the protector has a main body portion through which the cable routing material is inserted into a storage space formed by a wall portion, a stepped portion formed within the storage space portion and located outside the insertion end of the outer material when the outer material is inserted into the storage space portion, and an inclined portion provided on the stepped portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the outer material Furthermore, the inclined portion is composed of a plurality of ribs formed along the insertion direction, the plurality of ribs are spaced apart along a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and the spacing is smaller than the outer diameter of the exterior material. It is characterized by the following: Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the wire harness according to the present invention comprises a conductive cable routing material, an outer material through which the cable routing material is inserted, a protector that covers the cable routing material, a connector provided at the end of the cable routing material and assembled to the main body of the protector, and a connector cover attached to the connector and capable of holding the end of the outer material, wherein the protector has a main body through which the cable routing material is inserted into a storage space formed by a wall, a stepped portion formed within the storage space and located outside the insertion end of the outer material when the outer material is inserted into the storage space, and an inclined portion provided on the stepped portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the outer material.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the protector according to the present invention comprises a main body portion through which a conductive cable routing material is inserted into a storage space formed by a wall portion; a stepped portion formed within the storage space portion, located outside the insertion end of the exterior material when the exterior material through which the cable routing material is inserted is inserted into the storage space portion; and an inclined portion provided on the stepped portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the exterior material. Furthermore, the inclined portion is composed of a plurality of ribs formed along the insertion direction, the plurality of ribs are spaced apart along a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and the spacing is smaller than the outer diameter of the exterior material. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The wire harness and protector according to the present invention have the effect of improving work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration of a wire harness to which the protector according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a wire harness to which the protector according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a top view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the protector according to the embodiment, along the insertion direction. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the protector during assembly according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the protector during assembly according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the protector during assembly according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, some of the components in the following embodiments may be easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0011] [Embodiment] The wire harness WH shown in Figures 1 and 2 is, for example, a bundle of multiple wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on a vehicle, and the multiple wiring materials W are connected to each device using connectors or the like.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the wire harness WH comprises a conductive cable guide W, a corrugated tube C as an outer covering through which the cable guide W is inserted, a connector N provided at the end of the cable guide W, a connector cover NA attached to the connector N, and a protector 1. The wire harness WH may also include grommets, fasteners, and the like.

[0013] The wiring material W is, for example, an insulated wire in which a core wire, which is made up of bundled conductive metal strands, is covered with an insulating coating. The wiring material W may also be a bundle of multiple insulated wires. Alternatively, the wiring material W may be an insulated metal rod in which a conductive metal rod is covered with an insulating coating.

[0014] The corrugated tube C protects the wiring material W inserted therein. The corrugated tube C is formed in a flexible tubular shape from a resin material having insulating properties or the like. Further, the corrugated tube C has an annular concavo-convex portion formed along the circumferential direction on the outer surface, and a plurality of such concavo-convex portions are provided along the extending direction (insertion direction X described later) to form a bellows shape (see FIG. 2 etc.). Note that the corrugated tube C may have a slit formed therein along the extending direction for inserting the wiring material W. Also, in the present embodiment, the corrugated tube C is described as an example of the exterior material, but the type of the exterior material is not particularly limited.

[0015] The connector N can be electrically connected to the mating connector M by being connected to the mating connector M. The connector N holds the terminals provided at the end of the wiring material W, and by fitting with the mating connector M, can electrically connect the wiring material W and the mating connector M via the terminals.

[0016] The connector cover NA accommodates and holds the end of the corrugated tube C extending from the connector N and the wiring material W inserted into the corrugated tube C when mounted on the connector N. Further, the connector cover NA can enhance the waterproof property of the wiring material W by having one end mounted on the connector N and the corrugated tube C assembled to the other end. The connector cover NA is formed from a resin material having insulating properties or the like, and has an engaging portion (not shown) that engages with the concavo-convex portion of the corrugated tube C when mounted on the connector N.

[0017] Then, the protector 1 holds the base end portion of the connector N, the connector cover NA mounted on the connector N, and the corrugated tube C, and accommodates and protects the wiring material W inserted into the corrugated tube C when the connector N as described above is assembled. The protector 1 is used as a member that regulates the wiring path of the wiring material W by being fixed to the vehicle.

[0018] The protector 1 is formed of a resin material having insulation properties or the like, and includes a main body 10 in which a wiring material W is inserted into a storage space 10S formed by wall portions (wall portion 20K forming the base member 20 described later and wall portion 30K forming the cover member 30). Further, the protector 1 includes a step portion 100 formed in the storage space 10S and configured such that the corrugated tube C is disposed across the step portion 100 in a state where the corrugated tube C is inserted into the storage space 10S. And, the protector 1 of the present embodiment is configured to improve workability by providing an inclined portion 200 in the step portion 100 as a structure for smoothly inserting the end portion of the corrugated tube C into the storage space 10S. Hereinafter, each configuration of the protector 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0019] In the following description, among the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction that intersect each other, the first direction is referred to as the “insertion direction X”, the second direction is referred to as the “width direction Y”, and the third direction is referred to as the “height direction Z”. The insertion direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are orthogonal to each other. The insertion direction X typically corresponds to the wiring direction of the wiring material W with respect to the protector 1, the insertion direction of the corrugated tube C with respect to the protector 1, the extending direction of the protector 1 (also referred to as the length direction), the extending direction of the inclined portion 200 provided in the step portion 100 of the protector 1, and the like. Further, the width direction Y typically corresponds to the width direction of the inclined portion 200 provided in the step portion 100 of the protector 1. Each direction used in the following description will be described as the direction in a state where each part of the protector 1 is assembled, unless otherwise specified.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 10 includes a base member 20 through which the wiring material W is inserted, and a cover member 30 that is assembled to the base member 20 and closes an opening in the height direction Z formed in the base member 20.

[0021] Further, when the cover member 30 is assembled to the base member 20, it is formed in a cylindrical shape with both ends in the insertion direction X opened as a whole, and has an insertion hole 11 located on one side in the insertion direction X and an insertion hole 12 located on the other side.

[0022] In this embodiment, the main body 10 is assembled with the cover member 30 attached to the base member 20 with the cable routing material W inserted inside. The main body 10 can accommodate each part inside (the storage space 10S described later) by inserting the corrugated tube C attached to the cable routing material W from the insertion hole 11 side, followed by inserting the connector cover NA and connector N from the insertion hole 11 side. Furthermore, the main body 10 can maintain the state in which each part is housed in the storage space 10S by locking the end of the connector N via the locking mechanism 40 to fix the position of the connector N relative to the main body 10.

[0023] The storage space 10S is a space enclosed by the wall portion 20K that forms the base member 20 and the wall portion 30K that is formed in the cover member 30 assembled to the base member 20 and covers the opening in the height direction Z of the base member 20 (see Figures 2 and 5).

[0024] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 40 includes a locking hole 41 provided in the wall portion (side wall portion 21, described later) forming the base member 20, and a locking piece 42 provided on the connector N shown in Figure 2, etc., so as to correspond to the locking hole 41. The main body 10 can lock the connector N via the locking mechanism 40 by the locking hole 41 of the base member 20 engaging with a projection formed on the locking piece 42 of the connector N (see Figure 4).

[0025] Next, the configuration of the base member 20 and the cover member 30 will be described in detail.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base member 20 is composed of wall portions 20K, which include side wall portions 21 and 22 and a bottom portion 23. The base member 20, with its side wall portions 21 and 22 and bottom portion 23, is integrally formed to create a U-shaped cross-sectional shape along the height direction Z.

[0027] The side walls 21 and 22 are both formed in a plate shape with the width direction Y being the thickness direction, and are positioned opposite each other with a gap in between along the width direction Y. The side walls 21 and 22 each have various shapes, including concave portions, convex portions, curved portions, or bent portions.

[0028] Furthermore, the bottom portion 23 is formed in a plate shape as a whole, and is located between the side wall portions 21 and 22 with respect to the width direction Y, with both ends in the width direction Y connected to the respective side wall portions 21 and 22. More specifically, the bottom portion 23 has a side wall portion 21 erected along the height direction Z from one end in the width direction Y, and a side wall portion 22 erected on the same side as the side wall portion 21 along the height direction Z from the other end in the width direction Y. The bottom portion 23 also extends along the insertion direction X from one end to the other end of the side wall portions 21 and 22.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the bottom portion 23 is formed in a stepped shape with respect to the height direction Z. More specifically, the bottom portion 23 is composed of a bottom portion 23a located on the insertion hole 11 side, a bottom portion 23b located on the insertion hole 12 side and positioned above the bottom portion 23a in the height direction Z, and a stepped portion 100 located between the bottom portion 23a and the bottom portion 23b. This stepped portion 100 will be described in detail later, but when the corrugated tube C is inserted from the insertion hole 11 side along the insertion direction X, the end of the corrugated tube C comes into contact with the inclined portion 200 provided on the stepped portion 100.

[0030] On the other hand, the cover member 30 is composed of wall portions 30K. The cover member 30 is formed to a size that can close the opening in the height direction Z of the base member 20, and is formed in a plate shape with the height direction Z being the plate thickness direction when the opening is closed (see Figure 1, etc.). At this time, the cover member 30 is held in a closed position that closes the opening in the height direction Z of the base member 20 by being locked to each side wall portion 21, 22 of the base member 20 via a locking mechanism 50, and is positioned at a distance from the bottom portion 23 along the height direction Z.

[0031] The locking mechanism 50 is composed of a plurality of locking pieces 51 provided on each side wall portion 21, 22 of the base member 20, and a lockable piece 52 provided on the cover member 30 corresponding to each locking piece 51 (see Figures 1, 2, etc.). The base member 20 can lock the cover member 30 via the locking mechanism 50 by having the projections formed on each locking piece 51 engage with the holes formed in the lockable pieces 52 of the cover member 30.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the bottom portion 23 of the base member 20, which is provided with the stepped portion 100, will be explained in more detail.

[0033] The bottom portion 23a is formed in a plate shape with its height Z being in the plate thickness direction, and is the portion where the tip of the corrugated tube C inserted from the insertion hole 11 side (the end connected to the connector N and housed in the connector cover NA), the connector cover NA, and the connector N are located.

[0034] The bottom portion 23b is formed in a plate shape with the height direction Z being the thickness direction, and is the portion where the base end (also called the insertion end) of the corrugated tube C inserted from the insertion hole 11 side is located.

[0035] The stepped portion 100 is formed in a plate shape with the insertion direction X being the plate thickness direction, and is the portion where the middle part of the corrugated tube C inserted from the insertion hole 11 side is located.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the stepped portion 100 of this embodiment is provided with an inclined portion 200 that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction X of the corrugated tube C.

[0037] The inclined portion 200 is formed such that the height in the height direction Z gradually increases from the bottom portion 23a located on the insertion hole 11 side to the bottom portion 23b located on the insertion hole 12 side, and the amount of protrusion from the bottom portion 23a gradually increases.

[0038] Furthermore, the inclined portion 200 is composed of a plurality of ribs 210 formed along the insertion direction X, and each rib 210 is spaced apart along the width direction Y which intersects the insertion direction X (see Figure 3).

[0039] Therefore, the rib 210 in this embodiment is formed in a plate shape where the width direction Y is the plate thickness direction, and the shape viewed from the width direction Y is formed to be approximately triangular (see Figure 4).

[0040] At this time, when the corrugated tube C is inserted into the protector 1 from the insertion hole 11 side, the inclined portion 200 allows the base end of the corrugated tube C to come into contact with the slanted edge of the rib 210, thereby guiding the end from the insertion hole 11 side to the insertion hole 12 side. Therefore, the inclined portion 200 can push up the end of the corrugated tube C from the bottom 23a side toward the bottom 23b side which is located above the bottom 23a side.

[0041] The spacing y1 between the ribs 210 is constant and set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the corrugated tube C. Therefore, the inclined portion 200 can guide the base end of the corrugated tube C from the insertion hole 11 side to the insertion hole 12 side and push it upward from the bottom 23a side to the bottom 23b side by contacting the slanted edges of the two adjacent ribs 210.

[0042] Next, the operation of protector 1 during assembly will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0043] First, the worker assembles the cable guide W onto the base member 20. Then, with the cable guide W inserted inside the base member 20, the worker assembles the cover member 30 onto the base member 20 to obtain the main body 10.

[0044] Then, the worker inserts the corrugated tube C attached to the end of the cable guide W from the insertion hole 11 side of the main body 10. At this time, the base end of the corrugated tube C is inserted along the insertion direction X, and as shown in Figure 5, it is inserted toward the stepped portion 100 formed along the direction (height direction Z) intersecting the insertion direction X, and comes into contact with the end of the inclined portion 200 provided on the stepped portion 100 (the end on the insertion hole 11 side). Then, as shown in Figure 6, the base end of the corrugated tube C is pushed further in, comes into contact with the slanted edge of the rib 210 that constitutes the inclined portion 200, and is guided from the insertion hole 11 side to the insertion hole 12 side, and is pushed upward from the bottom 23a side to the bottom 23b side. As a result, the corrugated tube C can move smoothly within the storage space 10S of the main body 10 via the inclined portion 200.

[0045] Furthermore, the spacing y1 between the ribs 210 that constitute the inclined portion 200 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the corrugated tube C. Therefore, the base end of the corrugated tube C is pushed upward from the bottom 23a side to the bottom 23b side while in contact with two adjacent ribs 210, and moves along the inclined edge of the inclined portion 200 without getting stuck between the two ribs 210. Thus, the corrugated tube C can move smoothly within the storage space 10S of the main body 10 via the two adjacent ribs 210.

[0046] The worker then inserts the connector cover NA and connector N, which are assembled to the tip of the corrugated tube C, from the insertion hole 11 side of the main body 10. At this time, the connector cover NA and connector N are inserted along the insertion direction X. When the connector N is assembled to the main body 10, its position relative to the main body 10 is confirmed by using the outer surface of the stepped portion 100 formed along the height direction Z, thereby confirming the mating state with the main body 10. Once the connector N is properly assembled to the main body 10, the base ends of the connector cover NA and connector N are housed in the storage space 10S of the main body 10. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the base end (insertion end) of the corrugated tube C is positioned at the bottom 23b of the storage space 10S, and the tip of the corrugated tube C, the connector cover NA, and the base end of the connector N are positioned at the bottom 23a of the storage space 10S, so that the corrugated tube C is positioned across the stepped portion 100 located between the bottom 23b and the bottom 23a. Consequently, the stepped portion 100 in the storage space 10S is located outside (towards the insertion hole 11) of the base end of the corrugated tube C when the corrugated tube C is inserted into the storage space 10S.

[0047] The wire harness WH described above comprises a conductive cable harness W, an outer covering material (for example, a corrugated tube C) through which the cable harness W is inserted, and a protector 1 that covers the cable harness W. The protector 1 has a main body 10 through which the cable harness W is inserted into a storage space 10S formed by wall portions 20K and 30K, a stepped portion 100 formed within the storage space 10S and located outside the insertion end of the corrugated tube C when the corrugated tube C is inserted into the storage space 10S, and an inclined portion 200 provided on the stepped portion 100 and inclined with respect to the insertion direction X of the corrugated tube C.

[0048] With this configuration, the wire harness WH and protector 1 can accommodate the corrugated tube C attached to the end of the cable guide W by inserting it from the insertion hole 11 side of the main body 10. At this time, the base end of the corrugated tube C is inserted along the insertion direction X, so that it is inserted toward the stepped portion 100 formed along the direction (height direction Z) intersecting the insertion direction X, and comes into contact with the end of the inclined portion 200 provided on the stepped portion 100. The base end of the corrugated tube C then comes into contact with the slanted side of the inclined portion 200 and is pushed upward from the bottom 23a side to the bottom 23b side, allowing it to move smoothly within the storage space 10S of the main body 10. Therefore, the wire harness WH and protector 1 can smoothly insert the end of the corrugated tube C into the main body 10, improving workability.

[0049] Furthermore, the wire harness WH and the inclined portion 200 of the protector 1 described above are composed of a plurality of ribs 210 formed along the insertion direction X, and the plurality of ribs 210 are spaced apart along the direction intersecting the insertion direction X (width direction Y), and the spacing y1 is smaller than the outer diameter of the corrugated tube C. With this configuration, when the corrugated tube C is inserted from the insertion hole 11 side of the main body 10, the wire harness WH and the protector 1 can bring the end of the corrugated tube C into contact with two adjacent ribs 210. At this time, the end of the corrugated tube C comes into contact with the slanted sides of the inclined portions 200 of the two ribs 210, and is pushed up from the bottom 23a side to the bottom 23b side, allowing it to move smoothly within the storage space 10S of the main body 10. Therefore, the wire harness WH and protector 1 allow the end of the corrugated tube C to be smoothly inserted into the main body 10, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0050] Furthermore, the wire harness WH described above includes a connector N provided at the end of the cable routing material W and assembled to the main body 10, and a connector cover NA attached to the connector N and capable of holding the end of the corrugated tube C. With this configuration, when inserting the corrugated tube C from the insertion hole 11 side of the main body 10, the connector N is assembled to the main body 10, thereby allowing the end of the cable routing material W to be properly housed in the storage space 10S of the main body 10.

[0051] Furthermore, the wire harness WH and protector 1 according to the embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0052] For example, the inclined portion may be composed of an inclined surface that intersects and extends with respect to the bottom of the main body.

[0053] Furthermore, the spacing between the ribs that make up the inclined section may or may not be constant.

[0054] Furthermore, the height of the stepped portion formed within the storage space and the angle of inclination of the inclined portion provided in the stepped portion are not particularly limited.

[0055] Furthermore, the wire harness does not need to have connectors or connector covers.

[0056] The wire harness and protector according to this embodiment may be constructed by appropriately combining the components of the embodiments and modified examples described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1 Protector 10 Main body 10S Storage Space 20 Base members 21, 22 Side wall section 23 Bottom 30 Cover component 100 Step section 200 Slope section 210 Rib C. Corrugated tubing (exterior material) N connector NA Connector Cover W Routing material WH Wire Harness X insertion direction Y width direction Z (height direction) y1 Rib spacing

Claims

1. A conductive wiring material, An exterior material through which the aforementioned cable routing material is inserted, The cable material is fitted with a protector that is attached to the outside, The aforementioned protector is The main body portion through which the cable routing material is inserted into the storage space formed by the wall portion, A stepped portion is formed within the storage space, and when the exterior material is inserted into the storage space, the stepped portion is located outside the insertion end of the exterior material, The stepped portion is provided and has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the exterior material, The inclined portion is composed of a plurality of ribs formed along the insertion direction, The plurality of ribs are arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and the intervals are smaller than the outer diameter of the exterior material. Wire harness.

2. A connector is provided at the end of the aforementioned cable material and assembled to the main body, The connector is fitted to the connector and includes a connector cover capable of holding the end of the exterior material, The wire harness according to claim 1.

3. A conductive cable material, An exterior material through which the aforementioned cable routing material is inserted, A protector that is attached to the aforementioned cable material, A connector is provided at the end of the aforementioned cable material and is assembled to the main body of the protector, The connector is fitted to the connector and includes a connector cover capable of holding the end of the exterior material, The aforementioned protector is The main body portion through which the cable routing material is inserted into the storage space portion formed by the wall portion, A stepped portion is formed within the storage space, and when the exterior material is inserted into the storage space, the stepped portion is located outside the insertion end of the exterior material, The stepped portion is provided and is characterized by having an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the exterior material, Wire harness.

4. A main body through which a conductive cable routing material is inserted into a storage space formed by a wall, With the exterior material formed within the storage space and through which the cable routing material is inserted, the stepped portion located outside the insertion end of the exterior material, The stepped portion is provided and has an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the exterior material, The inclined portion is composed of a plurality of ribs formed along the insertion direction, The plurality of ribs are arranged at intervals along a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and the intervals are smaller than the outer diameter of the exterior material. Protector.

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