Vehicle hose protection structure
The vehicle hose protector member uses protruding inner wall sections and staggered clamping to simplify attachment, ensuring stable and efficient protection against intrusions.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA SHATAI KK
- Filing Date
- 2023-01-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
Smart Images
Figure 0007868518000001 
Figure 0007868518000002 
Figure 0007868518000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a protective structure for a vehicle hose including a flexible vehicle hose and a protector member attached to the outer surface side of the vehicle hose.
Background Art
[0002] Related technology is described in Patent Document 1. In the vehicle of Patent Document 1, a protector is attached to the connection portion between the fuel tank and the tube. Here, a cylindrical joint portion is fixed to the mounting port of the fuel tank so as to be exposed to the outside, and the exposed joint portion outside is inserted into the tip portion of a resin tube. Further, a disk-shaped annular flange portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the joint portion so as to be exposed to the outside. And in the joint portion, a groove portion for locking the protector is formed along the circumferential direction of the tube in a convex portion provided on the annular flange portion.
[0003] Further, the protector is formed so as to extend in the axial direction of the tube, and is formed in a substantially C-shaped cross section along the outer surface of the tube, so that a part of the circumferential direction is released. Further, an engaging portion that is locked to the groove portion of the joint portion protrudes along the circumferential direction of the tube at the tip portion of the protector. And on the inner wall side of the main body of the protector, a substantially C-shaped clamp portion for gripping the tube is separately provided. This clamp portion is larger in the circumferential direction than the main body of the protector, and the free end of the clamp portion protrudes to the outside from the open portion of the main body of the protector.
[0004] In the above-described configuration, the protector is attached to the connection portion between the fuel tank and the tube, that is, the tip portion side of the tube into which the joint portion is inserted. At this time, by sandwiching the tube between the pair of clamp portions, the protector provided with the clamp portions can be attached to the outer surface side of the tube. Furthermore, the protector is prevented from rotating with respect to the tube by the locking portion provided at the tip portion thereof being locked to the groove portion of the joint portion from the circumferential direction.
Prior Art Documents
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-10402 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0006] Incidentally, it is desirable that this type of protector be positioned and attached to the tube. For example, a cushioning material can be interposed between the protector and the tube, but this would increase costs. Furthermore, the protector in Patent Document 1 is positioned and attached to the tube by holding the tube with a clamp portion separately provided on its main body. However, in the above configuration, a separate clamp portion that is larger than the protector's main body is provided, which tends to complicate the protector's structure. Moreover, in the above configuration, with the tube held by the clamp portion, the locking portion of the protector is locked into the groove of the joint portion from the circumferential direction, making the attachment of the protector time-consuming. The present invention was devised in view of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to position and attach a protector member to a vehicle hose with a relatively simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] As a means to solve the above problems, the protective structure for a vehicle hose of the first invention comprises a flexible vehicle hose and a protector member attached to the outer surface of the vehicle hose. In this type of configuration, it is desirable that the protector member can be positioned and attached to the vehicle hose with a relatively simple configuration. Therefore, the protector member of the present invention is provided with a protruding portion that extends at least a part of its inner wall on the vehicle hose side toward the vehicle hose. The inner diameter of the protector member of the present invention is reduced by the protruding portion provided on at least a part of its inner wall. As a result, the protector member can be attached while its protruding portion interferes with the vehicle hose, and it becomes possible to position it relative to the vehicle hose without providing a separate clamp or other configuration.
[0008] Protective structure for vehicle hoses of the first invention of The protector member is provided with a clamping portion in which a pair of clamping pieces are arranged opposite each other to clamp the vehicle hose, and the clamping portion teeth, The protruding part Intermittently in the circumferential direction of vehicle hoses It is provided. Each of the pair of clamping pieces has a narrowing portion formed by a protruding part that reduces the inner diameter of the clamping portion, and the narrowing portion on one of the pair of clamping pieces and the narrowing portion on the other are arranged alternately in the direction in which the vehicle hose extends. In the protector member of the present invention, the vehicle hose is clamped by the clamping portion, thereby causing the protruding portion provided on the clamping portion to interfere with the vehicle hose. Furthermore, in this invention, by providing intermittent protruding portions, intruders that have entered the protector member can be guided to the outside through the gaps between adjacent protruding portions. Furthermore, the protective structure for a vehicle hose of the second invention is such that, in the protective structure for a vehicle hose of the first invention, the plurality of narrow portions provided on one of the pair of clamping pieces and the plurality of narrow portions provided on the other are arranged in a staggered pattern so as to be staggered in the direction in which the vehicle hose extends.
[0009] The protective structure for vehicle hoses of the third invention is, First invention orIn the protective structure for a vehicle hose of the second invention, the vehicle hose is provided with a reference region extending in a predetermined axial direction and a bent region extending in an axial direction different from the reference region. The protector member is provided with an extension portion continuous with the clamping portion, and is positioned so that the extension portion contacts the outer surface of the bent region when the clamping portion is attached to the reference region. In the protector member of the present invention, by attaching the clamping portion to the reference region of the vehicle hose, the extension portion continuous with the clamping portion comes into contact with the bent region of the vehicle hose. By bringing the extension portion into contact with the bent region, the movement of the clamping portion relative to the reference region (such as movement in the circumferential direction) can be suppressed.
[0010] The protective structure for a vehicle hose of the fourth invention is an extension of the protective structure for a vehicle hose of the third invention, wherein the extension portion is provided with a contact portion that protrudes toward the bending region. In the protector member of the present invention, since the contact portion that protrudes from the extension portion comes into contact with the bending region, the movement of the clamping portion relative to the reference region can be suppressed more reliably. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the first invention of the present invention, a protector member can be positioned and attached to a vehicle hose with a relatively simple configuration. 1 According to the invention, the protector member can be more reliably positioned and attached to the vehicle hose. Furthermore, according to the first invention, the protector member can be positioned and properly attached using a vehicle hose. Furthermore, according to the second invention, The protector component can be positioned to be attached to the vehicle hose more appropriately. Furthermore, according to the third invention, the protector member can be positioned and attached to the vehicle hose more stably. Furthermore, according to the fourth invention, the protector member can be attached to the vehicle hose even more stably. 。 [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the vehicle hoses and protector components installed on the vehicle. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the inner wall side of the protector component in the open position. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the protective structure corresponding to the section along line IV-IV in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Each figure shows an arrow indicating the vertical direction (vehicle height direction) of the vehicle hose, based on the state in which the vehicle hose is installed on the vehicle. For convenience, each figure also shows arrows indicating the front-rear direction and left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle. In each figure, the protective structure of the vehicle hose is shown with a solid line, and the illustration of other vehicle components is omitted.
[0015] First, let's briefly explain the vehicle hose 4 installed on the vehicle 2 shown in Figure 1. This vehicle hose 4 is a tubular member (a tubular member made of resin or elastomer, etc.) with appropriate flexibility, and can be used, for example, as an inlet hose installed between the fuel storage member and the vehicle body. The vehicle hose 4 can also be attached to the underside of the vehicle 2 in a bent state as described later. When the vehicle hose 4 is installed on the underside of the vehicle 2, at least a part of it is exposed to the road surface.
[0016] [Protective structure for vehicle hoses] In the protective structure of the vehicle hose, the vehicle hose 4 shown in FIG. 1 is protected by a protector member 6 (details will be described later) attached to the outer surface side thereof. That is, by protecting the road surface side of the vehicle hose 4 with the protector member 6, it becomes difficult for foreign objects such as flying stones to directly hit the vehicle hose 4. And in the above-described protective structure, it is desirable to position and attach the protector member 6 to the vehicle hose 4, but care should be taken so that the configuration of the protector member 6 does not become overly complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the protector member 6 is positioned and attached to the vehicle hose 4 by a relatively simple configuration described later. Hereinafter, the details of the protective structure of the vehicle hose will be described in the order of the shape of the vehicle hose 4 and the protector member 6.
[0017] [Shape of Vehicle Hose] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle hose 4 is disposed on the lower surface side of the vehicle 2 in a state of being bent in an appropriate direction as described above. That is, the vehicle hose 4 has a reference region 10 extending in a predetermined direction and a pair of bending regions (first bending region 11, second bending region 12) extending in a direction different from the reference region 10. And in this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, it is assumed that the reference region 10 is provided so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction (first axis direction A1).
[0018] Also, the first bending region 11 shown in FIG. 1 is continuous with one end portion (the rear end portion in FIG. 1) in the extension direction of the reference region 10. And the first bending region 11 is bent substantially at a right angle upward of the vehicle with respect to the reference region 10, so as to extend in the vehicle up-down direction (second axis direction A2). Note that the first bending region 11 is provided with a connection portion 110 for another pipe material or the like (not shown) on the upper end portion side thereof, and the outer diameter dimension is widened by this connection portion 110. Also, the second bending region 12 is continuous with the other end portion (the front end portion in FIG. 1) of the reference region 10 on the side opposite to the one end portion. And the second bending region 12 is bent substantially at a right angle in a plan view as viewed from the vehicle up-down direction, so as to extend in the vehicle width direction (third axis direction A3). Note that another connection portion 120 is also provided at the right end portion of the second bending region 12, and the outer diameter dimension is widened by this another connection portion 120.
[0019] [Protector member] Next, the protector member 6 shown in FIG. 1 is a member attached to the outer surface side of the vehicle hose 4, and is configured to protect the side of the vehicle hose 4 facing the road surface. The protector member 6 is detachably attached to the vehicle hose 4 so that it can protect the portion of the vehicle hose 4 from the reference region 10 to the respective bending regions 11 and 12. The protector member 6 has a clamping portion 20 attached to the reference region 10, a first extension portion 31 disposed in the first bending region 11, and a second extension portion 32 disposed in the second bending region 12.
[0020] [Clamping portion] The clamping portion 20 shown in FIG. 1 is formed to be elongated in the first axial direction A1 (the longitudinal direction of the vehicle) by extending along the reference region 10 of the vehicle hose 4. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clamping portion 20 is formed by closing the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 having a semi-circular arc cross-section so as to form a cylinder. When the protector member 6 is attached to the vehicle hose 4, for example, the first clamping piece 21 is disposed on one side in the vehicle width direction (right side), and the second clamping piece 22 is disposed on the other side in the vehicle width direction (left side). In the closed state described above, the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 are disposed opposite to each other from the vehicle width direction across the reference region 10 of the vehicle hose 4.
[0021] Also, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the clamping portion 20, the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 are connected by a hinge portion 23. The hinge portion 23 is formed by a plurality of belt-like portions 230, 231, 232 being passed between the two clamping pieces 21, 22, and connects the two clamping pieces 21, 22 so as to be relatively rotatable. In the clamping portion 20, by relatively rotating the two clamping pieces 21, 22 about the hinge portion 23, it is possible to displace between the closed state where the two clamping pieces 21, 22 are closed and the open state where the two clamping pieces 21, 22 are expanded (deployed). In the open state of the clamping portion 20, the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 can be expanded so as to expose the inner walls 210, 220 of each other.
[0022] Here, the first clamping piece 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view in the open state shown in Figure 2, with its long side formed by a first edge 211 on the hinge portion 23 side and a second edge 212 on the free end side. The first clamping piece 21 also has a third edge 213 located on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the clamping portion 20 (the rear side in Figure 2) and a fourth edge 214 located on the other end side opposite to the first end (the front side in Figure 2) as its short side. The first clamping piece 21 is formed in a substantially semi-circular cross-section as shown in Figure 3, so that it can cover approximately half of the circumferential surface of the reference region 10.
[0023] The second clamping piece 22, like the first clamping piece 21 shown in Figure 2, has a pair of long sides (another first edge 221, another second edge 222) and a pair of short sides (another third edge 223, another fourth edge 224). The second clamping piece 22 is also formed in a roughly semi-circular cross-section, as shown in Figure 3, so as to be able to cover approximately half of the circumferential surface of the reference region 10. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the other third edge 223 of the second clamping piece 22 is provided with an extension portion 31X that protrudes outward. When the clamping portion 20 is closed, the extension portion 31X of the second clamping piece 22 faces the lower side of the first extension portion 31, which will be described later.
[0024] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in the closed state, the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 are connected by the hinge portion 23, and the second edges (212, 222) on the free end sides are locked together. Specifically, a pair of locking claws 24 and 25 are provided on the second edge 212 of the first clamping piece 21 so as to protrude in the circumferential direction of the clamping portion 20. The first locking claw 24 is located near the third edge 213 of the first clamping piece 21, and the second locking claw 25 is located near the fourth edge 214 of the first clamping piece 21. In addition, a locking hole 26 (27) is provided on another second edge 222 of the second clamping piece 22, into which each locking claw 24 (25) is inserted from the circumferential direction and locked. To close the clamping portion 20, the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 are closed together to form a cylindrical shape, and each locking claw 24(25) is inserted into the corresponding locking hole 26(27) and locked in place. This allows the locking force of the locking claws 24(25) and the locking hole 26(27) to maintain the closed state of both clamping pieces 21 and 22, i.e., the closed state of the clamping portion 20. By making each locking claw 24(25) detachably engageable with the locking hole 26(27), the protector member 6 can be attached to the vehicle hose 4 in a detachable manner.
[0025] [Protruding part] Referring also to Figures 2 and 3, the clamping portion 20 has protruding portions 40 formed on each of its clamping pieces 21 and 22, thereby partially reducing the inner diameter when closed (for convenience, all protruding portions 40 are denoted by the same reference numeral 40 in each figure). These protruding portions 40 are parts of the inner walls 210 and 220 of the protector member 6 on the vehicle hose 4 side that protrude toward the vehicle hose 4, and the clamping pieces 21 and 22 are thickened in these portions. The clamping portion 20 shown in Figure 2 has multiple narrowed portions 41 to 46 with reduced inner diameters, and each narrowed portion 41 to 46 has a pair of protruding portions 40 extending in the circumferential direction, provided intermittently. That is, each narrowed portion 41 to 46 has a pair of protruding portions 40 provided in a vertical wall-like manner that extends in the circumferential direction, and gaps are provided between them so that adjacent protruding portions 40 are arranged intermittently. As a result, in the closed position, the inner diameter φ2 of the narrowed portions 41-46 of the clamping portion 20 is smaller than the inner diameter φ1 of its normal position by the amount of the protruding portion 40.
[0026] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, it is desirable that the inner diameter φ1 of the clamping portion 20 in its normal position be set to be larger than the outer diameter φ3 of the vehicle hose 4 in its normal position (part other than the connection portion). By setting it in this way, unintended contact between the inner wall portion of the clamping portion 20 in its normal position and the vehicle hose 4 can be avoided. The inner diameter φ2 of the narrow portions 41 to 46 is not particularly limited as long as it does not interfere with the vehicle hose 4, but for example, it can be set to be smaller than the inner diameter φ1 in its normal position and greater than or equal to the outer diameter φ3 of the vehicle hose 4 in its normal position (φ1 > φ2 ≥ φ1).
[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the inner wall 210 of the first clamping piece 21 has a pair of narrowed portions formed at both ends in its longitudinal direction (vehicle longitudinal direction). The first clamping piece 21 has a first narrowed portion 41 and a second narrowed portion 42 located near its third edge 213. The first narrowed portion 41 and the second narrowed portion 42 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the clamping portion 20, and the location for forming the first locking claw 24 described above is provided between the two narrowed portions 41 and 42. Furthermore, the first clamping piece 21 also has a third narrowed portion 43 and a fourth narrowed portion 44 located near its fourth edge 214. The third narrowed portion 43 and the fourth narrowed portion 44 are also spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the clamping portion 20, and the location for forming the second locking claw 25 described above is provided between the two narrowed portions 43 and 44.
[0028] Furthermore, the inner wall 220 of the second clamping piece 22, as shown in Figure 2, also has narrowed portions formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction (vehicle longitudinal direction). In this second clamping piece 22, a fifth narrowed portion 45 is provided near the third edge 223, and a sixth narrowed portion 46 is provided near the fourth edge 224. In the clamping portion 20, the narrowed portions 41-44 of the first clamping piece 21 and the narrowed portions 45 and 46 of the second clamping piece 22 are arranged in a staggered pattern so as to be alternating in the longitudinal direction. That is, the fifth narrowed portion 45 of the second clamping piece 22 is located between the first narrowed portion 41 and the second narrowed portion 42 of the first clamping piece 21 in the longitudinal direction. The sixth narrowed portion 46 of the second clamping piece 22 is located between the third narrowed portion 43 and the fourth narrowed portion 44 of the first clamping piece 21 in the longitudinal direction.
[0029] [Extension] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first clamping piece 21 has a plate-shaped first extension 31 that is continuous with the outside of its third edge 213. As shown in Figure 1, this first extension 31 is bent at approximately a right angle from the clamping piece 20 and extends toward the upper side of the vehicle (second axial direction A2), so that it can be positioned in the first bending region 11 of the vehicle hose 4. The first extension 31 is formed in a substantially arc shape in cross-section so that it can protect the side of the first bending region 11 that faces the road surface (from the lower half to the rear half). The inner diameter of the tip of the first extension 31 is relatively large so that it can cover the connection portion 110 of the first bending region 11.
[0030] [Part] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first extension 31 has a first contact portion 310 that protrudes toward the first bending region 11 of the vehicle hose 4. As shown in Figure 4, this first contact portion 310 is formed by deforming the first extension 31 in a direction that causes it to bulge locally toward the first bending region 11. The first contact portion 310 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in cross-sectional view as shown in Figure 4, and its tip has a surface shape. When the protector member 6 is attached to the vehicle hose 4, the first contact portion 310 protrudes toward the rear and left side of the first bending region 11 and comes into surface contact with this first bending region 11. In the above configuration, referring to Figures 1 and 3, as the clamping portion 20 attempts to rotate (clockwise) on one side AX in the circumferential direction of the vehicle hose 4, the first contact portion 310 comes into contact with the first bending region 11. In other words, when the clamping portion 20 described above rotates to the right, the first extension portion 31 tends to tilt to one side (right side) in the vehicle width direction, causing its first contact portion 310 to come into strong contact (strong interference) with the first bending region 11.
[0031] Furthermore, the first clamping piece 21 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a plate-shaped second extension 32 that is continuous with the outside of its fourth edge 214. As shown in Figure 1, this second extension 32 is bent at approximately a right angle from the clamping piece 20 and extends in the vehicle width direction (third axial direction A3), so that it can be positioned in the second bending region 12 of the vehicle hose 4. The second extension 32 is formed in a substantially arc shape in cross-section so that it can protect the road surface-facing side (lower half side) of the second bending region 12. The inner diameter of the tip of the second extension 32 is also relatively large so that it can cover another connection part 120 of the second bending region 12.
[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second extension 32 has a second contact portion 320 that protrudes toward the second bending region 12 of the vehicle hose 4. This second contact portion 320 is formed in the same manner as the first contact portion 310, and its tip has a surface shape. When the protector member 6 is attached to the vehicle hose 4, the second contact portion 320 protrudes toward the lower part of the second bending region 12 and comes into surface contact with this second bending region 12. In the above configuration, referring to Figures 1 and 3, as the clamping portion 20 attempts to rotate (rotate counterclockwise) toward the other side AY in the circumferential direction of the vehicle hose 4, the second contact portion 320 comes into contact with the second bending region 12. That is, when the clamping portion 20 rotates counterclockwise as described above, the second extension 32 attempts to rise upward, causing the second contact portion 320 to strongly contact (strongly interfere with) the second bending region 12.
[0033] [Installation of protective components] When attaching the protector member 6 shown in Figure 1, first, its clamping portion 20 is attached to the reference area 10 of the vehicle hose 4. Referring to Figure 3, the open clamping portion 20 is placed against the outer surface of the reference area 10, and the two clamping pieces 21 and 22 are rotated to close using the hinge portion 23 as a pivot point. Subsequently, the closed state of the two clamping pieces 21 and 22 shown in Figure 1 is maintained by the locking force of the locking claws 24 (25) and locking holes 26 (27), allowing the protector member 6 with the clamping portion 20 to be attached to the vehicle hose 4. In this vehicle hose protection structure, the protector member 6 protects the side of the vehicle hose 4 that faces the road surface. In this type of configuration, it is desirable to position and attach the protector member 6 to the vehicle hose 4 using a relatively simple configuration as described above. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, the protector member 6 is provided with a protruding portion 40 that extends from a part of the inner wall 210, 220 on the vehicle hose 4 side toward the vehicle hose 4. With the protector member 6 described above, by causing the protruding portion 40 to interfere with the vehicle hose 4, it becomes possible to position and attach the protector member 6 to the vehicle hose 4. The function of the protruding portion 40 will be explained in more detail below.
[0034] [Function of protruding parts] In the clamping portion 20 described above, multiple narrowed portions 41-46 (protruding portions 40) are formed on both clamping pieces 21 and 22, as shown in Figure 2, thereby partially reducing the inner diameter. Therefore, by closing the clamping portion 20 as shown in Figure 3, each of the narrowed portions 43, 46, etc. (protruding portions 40) of the protector member 6 can be made to interfere with the reference area 10 of the vehicle hose 4. In particular, each of the narrowed portions 41-46 shown in Figure 2 is provided close to both ends of the clamping portion 20 in the longitudinal direction (vehicle front-rear direction), i.e., the locking claws 24 (25) and locking holes 26 (27), as described above. Therefore, by closing each clamping piece 21 and 22 with the locking of each locking claw 24 and locking hole 26, each of the narrowed portions 41-46 (protruding portions 40) can be more reliably made to bite into and interfere with the reference area 10. According to the above configuration, the protector member 6 can be attached while its protruding portion 40 interferes with the reference area 10, and it becomes possible to position it relative to the vehicle hose 4 without using a separate clamp portion or other configuration. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, a pair of protruding portions 40 are intermittently provided at each narrow portion 41 to 46 of the clamping portion 20. As a result, intruders X (including solids such as powder, liquids such as rain, and gases such as hot air) that have entered the protector member 6 can be guided to the outside through the gap between adjacent protruding portions 40.
[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the narrow portions 41-44 (protruding portions 40) of the first clamping piece 21 and the narrow portions 44, 45 (protruding portions 40) of the second clamping piece 22 are arranged in a staggered pattern as described above. As a result, the vehicle hose 4 shown in Figure 3 interferes with the protruding portions 40 of the first clamping piece 21, while a gap is created between it and the second clamping piece 22 (the inner wall portion in its normal position), which does not have protruding portions. Conversely, the vehicle hose 4 interferes with the protruding portions 40 of the second clamping piece 22, while a gap is created between it and the first clamping piece 21 (the inner wall portion in its normal position), which does not have protruding portions. In this way, the vehicle hose 4 is held within the clamping portion 20 in a cantilevered state, interfering with only the protruding portion 40 of one of the clamping pieces (either 21 or 22). As described above, the staggered arrangement of the protruding portions 40 allows the first clamping piece 21 and the second clamping piece 22 to alternately cantilever the vehicle hose 4 in its longitudinal direction. This allows the vehicle hose 4 to be stably held within the clamping portion 20. Furthermore, although the vehicle hose 4 shown in Figure 3 deforms (moves) radially due to interference with the protruding portions 40, this deformation (movement) of the vehicle hose 4 can be tolerated by the gap between it and the clamping pieces that do not have protruding portions.
[0036] In the staggered (cantilever) configuration described above, when the clamping portion 20 is attached, only the protruding portion 40 of one of the clamping pieces effectively comes into contact with the vehicle hose 4. Furthermore, since the protruding portion 40 is formed in a vertical wall shape (linear), it is less likely to interfere excessively with the vehicle hose 4. As a result, excessive interference between the inner wall portion of the vehicle hose 4 and the protruding portion 40 can be avoided as much as possible, and the clamping portion 20 with the protruding portion 40 can be smoothly attached to the vehicle hose 4. Note that the vehicle hose 4 shown in Figure 1 may have a raised portion (such as a parting line or other edge-like portion) on its outer surface, which is not shown. Even in such cases, the staggered (cantilever) configuration makes it possible to avoid interference between the raised portion of the vehicle hose 4 and the inner wall portion of the clamping pieces 21 and 22 in their normal positions as much as possible.
[0037] [Function of the contact area] By attaching the clamping portion 20 to the reference region 10 shown in Figure 1, the first extension portion 31 is positioned to cover the first bending region 11, and the second extension portion 32 is positioned to cover the second bending region 12. In the first extension portion 31, as described above, the first contact portion 310 protrudes toward the first bending region 11. As a result, when the clamping portion 20 attempts to rotate clockwise on one side AX in the circumferential direction of the reference region 10, the first contact portion 310 is strongly pressed against the first bending region 11 (see Figure 4). In this way, the first contact portion 310 functions as an anti-rotation device, thereby suppressing the clockwise rotation of the clamping portion 20 toward one side AX in the circumferential direction. Similarly, in the second extension portion 32 shown in Figure 1, as described above, the second contact portion 320 protrudes toward the second bending region 12. As a result, when the clamping portion 20 attempts to rotate counterclockwise on the other side AY in the circumferential direction, the second contact portion 320 is strongly pressed against the second bending region 12. In this way, the second contact portion 320 functions as an anti-rotation device, which also suppresses the leftward rotation of the clamping portion 20 in the circumferential direction to the other side AY. Furthermore, in the above configuration, by mounting the clamping portion 20 in the reference area 10, both contact portions 310 and 320 (anti-rotation devices) can be positioned appropriately, resulting in a configuration that contributes to ensuring excellent mountability of the protector member 6.
[0038] As described above, the inner diameter of the protector member 6 in this embodiment is partially reduced by a protruding portion 40 provided on a part of its inner wall. This allows the protector member 6 to be attached while the protruding portion 40 interferes with the vehicle hose 4, and it becomes possible to position it relative to the vehicle hose 4 without providing a separate clamp or other component. For this reason, according to this embodiment, the protector member 6 can be positioned and attached to the vehicle hose 4 with a relatively simple configuration.
[0039] Furthermore, in the protector member 6 of this embodiment, the vehicle hose 4 is clamped by the clamping portion 20, causing the protruding portion 40 provided on the clamping portion 20 to interfere with the vehicle hose 4. Also, in the protector member 6 of this embodiment, by attaching the clamping portion 20 to the reference region 10 of the vehicle hose 4, the extension portions 31 and 32 continuous with the clamping portion 20 come into contact with the respective bending regions 11 and 12 of the vehicle hose 4. By applying the extension portions 31 and 32 corresponding to the respective bending regions 11 and 12, the movement of the clamping portion 20 relative to the reference region 10 (such as movement in the circumferential direction) can be suppressed. In particular, in the protector member 6, the contact portions 310 (320) protruding from each extension portion 31 (32) come into contact with the corresponding bending regions 11 (12), so the movement of the clamping portion 20 relative to the reference region 10 can be suppressed more reliably. In this embodiment, by providing the protruding portions 40 intermittently, any intruders that have entered the protector member 6 can be guided to the outside through the gaps between adjacent protruding portions 40.
[0040] The protective structure for vehicle hoses in this embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various other embodiments are possible. In this embodiment, the configuration of the protector member is illustrated, but this is not intended to limit the configuration of the protector member. For example, in the protector member, the clamping portion is formed in a substantially C-shape in cross-section, and the vehicle hose can be inserted through the open portion. The closed state of the clamping portion can be maintained by various configurations other than locking claws and locking holes. Furthermore, the protruding portions can be formed continuously in the circumferential direction, and their formation position and number can be changed as appropriate. That is, narrow portions can be formed by one or three or more protruding portions. In addition, in the protector member, protruding portions can be provided on at least a part of its inner wall, and the inner diameter can be made smaller overall by providing protruding portions over substantially the entire inner wall. In this case, a small portion of the inner wall in the normal position can be left, and this inner wall portion can be positioned opposite the protruding portion (parting line, etc.) of the vehicle hose. Furthermore, the narrow sections are not limited to being arranged in a staggered pattern; they may be arranged with a certain regularity or randomly, but it is desirable that they be close to locking claws, etc. In addition to having a linear configuration (vertical wall-like) extending in the circumferential direction, the protruding sections may be arranged in a grid pattern, or multiple columnar or protruding sections may be provided at points.
[0041] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide one or more extensions to the protector member. It is also possible to have the same configuration as the clamping portion, and if multiple extensions are provided, at least one of them can have the same configuration as the clamping portion. The contact portion of the extension can also be formed by making a part of the inner wall protrude toward the vehicle hose, similar to a protruding portion. It is also possible to provide multiple contact portions to a single extension. For example, by providing contact portions on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the first extension shown in Figure 1 (right and left sides in Figure 1), it is possible to suppress the right and left rotation of the clamping portion. Similarly, by providing contact portions on the upper and lower sides of the second extension, it is possible to suppress the right and left rotation of the clamping portion. At least a part of the inner wall of the extension in its normal position can also be placed in contact with the bending region, in which case the contact portion can be omitted.
[0042] Furthermore, while this embodiment illustrates the configuration of a vehicle hose, it is not intended to limit the configuration of the vehicle hose. It is desirable, but not limited to, a vehicle hose having a reference region and at least one bending region. The bending region only needs to be bent in an axial direction different from the reference region; for example, it can be bent in at least one direction: the vehicle's longitudinal direction, vehicle width direction, and vehicle's vertical direction, as shown in Figure 1. The vehicle hose can be installed at an appropriate location on the vehicle, and may be exposed outside the vehicle or installed inside the vehicle so as not to be exposed outside. The vehicle hose may also branch out, in which case the branched portion can be designated as the bending region. In addition to physically protecting the vehicle hose, the protector member may also be configured to protect it from hot or cold air. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0043] 2 vehicles 4. Vehicle hoses 6. Protector component 10 Reference area 11 First bending region 12 Second bending region 20 Clamping part 21 First clamping piece 22 Second clamping piece 23 Hinge section 24,25 Locking claws 26,27 Locking holes 31X extension area 31 First extension 32 Second extension 40 Protruding parts 41 First narrow area 42 Second narrow area 43 Third narrow site 44 Fourth narrow part 45 Fifth narrow part 46 Sixth narrow area 110 Connection part 120 Another connection point 210 Inner wall (of the first clamping piece) 211 (First edge of the first clamping piece) 212 (Second edge of the first clamping piece) 213 Third edge (of the first clamping piece) 214 (The fourth edge of the first clamping piece) 220 Inner wall (of the second clamping piece) 221 Another first edge (of the second clamping piece) 222 Another second edge (of the second clamping piece) 223 Another third edge (of the second clamping piece) 224 Another fourth edge (of the second clamping piece) 310 First hitting section 320 Second Hitting Section
Claims
1. In a vehicle hose protection structure comprising a flexible vehicle hose and a protector member attached to the outer surface of the vehicle hose, The protector member is provided with a protruding portion that extends at least a part of its inner wall on the vehicle hose side toward the vehicle hose. The protector member is provided with a clamping portion in which a pair of clamping pieces are arranged opposite each other to clamp the vehicle hose, and the protruding portion is provided intermittently in the circumferential direction of the vehicle hose on the clamping portion. Each of the pair of clamping pieces has a narrowed portion formed therein by the protruding portion that reduces the inner diameter of the clamping portion, and the narrowed portion provided on one of the pair of clamping pieces and the narrowed portion provided on the other are arranged alternately in the direction in which the vehicle hose extends, forming a protective structure for a vehicle hose.
2. The vehicle hose protection structure according to Claim 1, wherein a plurality of narrow portions provided on one of the pair of clamping pieces and a plurality of narrow portions provided on the other are arranged in a staggered pattern so as to be alternating in the direction in which the vehicle hose extends.
3. The vehicle hose is provided with a reference region extending in a predetermined axial direction and a bending region extending in an axial direction different from the reference region. The protective structure for a vehicle hose according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protector member is provided with an extension portion continuous with the clamping portion, and the extension portion is positioned to contact the outer surface of the bending region when the clamping portion is mounted in the reference region.
4. The protective structure for a vehicle hose according to claim 3, wherein the extension portion is provided with a contact portion that protrudes toward the bending region.