Method for manufacturing protectors and wire harnesses

Abstract

To provide a protector and a method for manufacturing a wire harness which can prevent an electric wire from being fixed in a wrong position.SOLUTION: A protector (10) includes: a protector body (11) on which an electric wire (W) can be placed; and a first spatula (13A) and a second spatula provided in the protector body to selectively fix the electric wire. The first spatula (13A) has a first through-hole (14A) into which a jig pin (20) can be inserted, and the second spatula has a second through-hole into which a jig pin (20) can be inserted. While the jig pin is inserted into the first through-hole (14A) and the electric wire (W) arranged in the protector body (11) is placed in the second spatula (13B), a binding band (30) is wound around the second spatula and the electric wire and the electric wire is fixed to the second spatula.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For a wire harness routed in a vehicle, part or all of a harness body including electric wires is housed and protected in a protector. The harness body is housed and fixed in a protector having a shape corresponding to, for example, the wire diameter or the routing path of the wire harness.

[0003] As a structure for fixing an electric wire to a protector, for example, an electric wire fixing structure described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The electric wire fixing structure described in Patent Document 1 includes a protector and a binding band that can be selectively routed through an inner peripheral band path and an outer peripheral band path. The protector includes an electric wire accommodation space surrounded by a bottom wall and a pair of side walls erected from both ends in the width direction of the bottom wall, and a pair of band insertion holes opened from both ends of the bottom wall to a part of each side wall. The inner peripheral band path is a path that penetrates through the pair of band insertion holes from the outside of the bottom wall and enters the electric wire accommodation space, and the outer peripheral band path is a path that passes through the pair of band insertion holes from the outside of the bottom wall and wraps around the outside of the pair of side walls. According to this electric wire fixing structure, for an electric wire disposed in the electric wire accommodation space, by fixing the electric wire with the binding band through either the inner peripheral band path or the outer peripheral band path, the electric wire can be fixed without changing the size of the protector even when the electric wire diameter sizes are different.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, some protectors have multiple tabs positioned close together. With this type of protector, the fixing points for the electric wires can be selected according to the specifications. However, when workers were fixing the electric wires with cable ties, it was left up to the worker to decide which tab to use to fix the wires. As a result, care had to be taken by the worker to fix the electric wires in the correct position, and there was a risk of incorrect assembly occurring if the electric wires were fixed in the wrong position.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a protector and a wire harness manufacturing method that can prevent incorrect assembly that fixes electric wires in the wrong position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the protector according to the present invention has the following features. A protector body on which electrical wires can be placed, The protector body is provided with a first and second bellows for selectively fixing the electric wire, The first spatula has a first through hole through which a jig pin can be inserted, The second spatula has a second through-hole through which the jig pin can be inserted. death , The jig pin and the first and second through holes are configured in a position, size, and shape such that, when the jig pin is inserted through the first or second through hole, the electric wire cannot be placed on the corresponding first or second bellows. Protector.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the wire harness manufacturing method according to the present invention is characterized by the following: A method for manufacturing a wire harness including the above-mentioned protector, With the jig pins inserted through the first through-holes on the jig plate on which the jig pins are provided, and the electric wires arranged on the protector body placed on the second bellows, The electric wire and the second veranda are secured to the second veranda by wrapping cable ties around them. Manufacturing method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The protector and wire harness manufacturing method according to the present invention has the effect of preventing incorrect assembly, which can result in fixing electric wires in the wrong position.

[0010] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by referring to the attached drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a protector according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the protector. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for securing the wires to the protector, and schematically shows the protector body with the jig pin inserted through the first through-hole. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for securing the wires to the protector, and schematically shows the wires placed on the protector body shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for securing the wires to the protector, and schematically shows the protector body and wires shown in Figure 4 secured with cable ties. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the wires secured to the protector body with cable ties. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the respective figures. In this embodiment, a protector 10 and a method for manufacturing a wire harness including the protector 10 will be described. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front-rear direction", "left-right direction" and "up-down direction" are defined. The "front-rear direction", "left-right direction" and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the protector 10. The protector 10 is attached to a part of an electric wire W (see FIG. 6) to form a wire harness, and is fixed to a predetermined location such as a vehicle body frame of a vehicle, for example, so that the wire harness is routed along the vehicle body.

[0014] <Protector 10> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protector 10 includes a protector main body 11 and a protector lid body 19. The protector 10 is formed of a synthetic resin.

[0015] <Protector main body 11> The protector main body 11 is capable of placing the electric wire W thereon, and has a bottom wall 12 extending in the front-rear direction and side walls 17, 18 extending upward from the left and right side edges of the bottom wall 12. At least a part of the electric wire W is accommodated in a groove formed by the bottom wall 12 and the side walls 17, 18. The protector main body 11 has an extension portion 13 extending from the front side of the bottom wall 12 in the extending direction of the electric wire W. The extension portion 13 has a rectangular shape in a plan view when viewed in the up-down direction.

[0016] The extension part 13 is provided with a band insertion hole 131 at the center in the left - right direction. In the extension part 13, the plate - like part on the right side of the band insertion hole 131 is defined as the first flange 13A, and the plate - like part on the left side of the band insertion hole 131 is defined as the second flange 13B. In other words, the first flange 13A and the second flange 13B are arranged adjacent to each other in the left - right direction via the band insertion hole 131. Also, in the extension part 13, the front - side part of the electric wire W placed on the bottom wall 12 is fixed to either the first flange 13A or the second flange 13B. That is, the protector main body 11 has the first flange 13A and the second flange 13B for selectively fixing the electric wire W.

[0017] On the left - and right - hand side edges of the extension part 13, side walls 132A and 132B extending upward are provided. The side wall 132A is connected to the side wall 17. The side wall 132B is connected to the side wall 18 via a front wall 121 that closes a part of the groove - opening front surface of the protector main body 11. The side walls 132A and 132B are each provided with a first locking part 15A and a second locking part 15B configured to be able to lock a binding band 30 (see FIG. 6) at each upper end. The first locking part 15A has a first locking hole 16A through which the binding band 30 can be inserted in the vertical direction. The second locking part 15B has a second locking hole 16B through which the binding band 30 can be inserted in the vertical direction. By inserting the binding band 30 into the first locking hole 16A of the first locking part 15A or the second locking hole 16B of the second locking part 15B, displacement of the binding band 30 can be prevented.

[0018] The first flange 13A and the second flange 13B each have a first through - hole 14A and a second through - hole 14B through which a jig pin 20 (see FIG. 6) can be inserted in the vertical direction. The first through - hole 14A is provided between the first locking part 15A and the band insertion hole 131 in the first flange 13A. The second through - hole 14B is provided between the second locking part 15B and the band insertion hole 131 in the second flange 13B. In the present embodiment, the first through - hole 14A is provided adjacent to the side wall 132A, and the second through - hole 14B is provided adjacent to the side wall 132B.

[0019] At the exit end of the protector 10, that is, at the front end of the protector body 11, multiple bellows, namely the first bellows 13A and the second bellows 13B, are provided in close proximity to each other. With this configuration, the fixing part for securing the electric wire W in the protector body 11 can be used differently depending on the specifications. On the other hand, because the first bellows 13A and the second bellows 13B are provided in close proximity, there is a risk of incorrect assembly by the worker fixing the electric wire W to a bellows that is not intended for assembly. Therefore, in this embodiment, the protector 10 is provided with first through holes 14A and 2 through holes 14B in the first bellows 13A and the second bellows 13B, respectively, and by inserting a jig pin 20 through the through hole of the bellows that are not intended for assembly, it is possible to prevent incorrect assembly.

[0020] <Protector cover 19> The protector cover 19 is a plate-shaped member capable of closing the groove opening of the protector body 11. The protector cover 19 is configured to open and close freely by a hinge and can be kept closed by a locking mechanism. After the electric wire W is placed in the protector body 11, the protector cover 19 closes the groove opening, thereby housing and protecting the electric wire W within the protector 10.

[0021] <Wire Harness Manufacturing Method> Referring to Figures 3 to 6, a method for manufacturing a wire harness by fixing the electric wire W to the protector 10 will be explained. Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams illustrating the procedure for fixing the electric wire W to the protector 10, and schematically show the protector body 11 as viewed from the front. Figure 3 shows the jig pin 20 inserted through the first through hole 14A, Figure 4 shows the electric wire W placed on the protector body 11 shown in Figure 3, and Figure 5 shows the protector body 11 and electric wire W shown in Figure 4 with cable ties 30 wrapped around them and fixed. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the electric wire W fixed to the protector 10 by cable ties 30.

[0022] The following describes an example of fixing the electric wire W to the second bellows 13B. The electric wire W may have connectors or electrical connection boxes attached to its ends in advance, or fixing members for routing may be provided at predetermined positions. The electric wire W may be a bundle of multiple electric wires or a single electric wire. The protector 10 is assembled to the electric wire W on a jig plate on which jig pins 20 are provided. The jig pins 20 may be provided on a receiving jig for holding the electric wire W, or they may be provided directly on the jig plate.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the protector body 11, which is placed on the jig plate, has a jig pin 20 inserted through the first through hole 14A. Since the jig pin 20 protrudes at least from the upper surface of the first baffle 13A while inserted through the first through hole 14A, the worker cannot place the electric wire W on the first baffle 13A. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the worker places the electric wire W on the second baffle 13B, where the jig pin 20 does not protrude. Next, as shown in Figure 5, the worker wraps a cable tie 30 around the outer circumference of the electric wire W placed on the second baffle 13B and passes it through the band insertion hole 131 and the second locking hole 16B to fix the electric wire W to the second baffle 13B. In this way, the electric wire W is fixed to the correct position on the protector body 11, i.e., the second baffle 13B, by the cable tie 30 (see Figure 6).

[0024] The jig pin 20 and the first through-hole 14A and second through-hole 14B are not limited to those shown in the figure. The jig pin 20 and the first through-hole 14A and second through-hole 14B should be configured in a position, size, and shape such that, when the jig pin 20 is inserted through the first through-hole 14A or the second through-hole 14B, the electric wire W cannot be placed on the corresponding first bellows 13A or the second bellows 13B.

[0025] <Effects of the Protector 10 and Wire Harness Manufacturing Method> As explained above, in this embodiment, when fixing an electric wire to either the first flaps 13A or the second flaps 13B as determined according to the specifications of the wire harness product, the jig pin 20 is inserted through the first through-hole 14A of the first flaps 13A. As a result, the worker cannot place the electric wire W on the first flaps 13A or the second flaps 13B through which the jig pin 20 is inserted, and the jig pin 20 prevents the worker from wrapping the cable tie 30 around the electric wire W and the first flaps 13A or the second flaps 13B. Therefore, the worker will inevitably place and fix the electric wire W on the first flaps 13A or the second flaps 13B through which the jig pin 20 is not inserted. Thus, by inserting the jig pin 20 into the first through-hole 14A or the second through-hole 14B of the first flaps 13A or the second flaps 13B that is not the target of fixing, it is possible to prevent the worker from fixing the electric wire W in the wrong position. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the protector 10 and wire harness of this embodiment, the worker performing the work of fixing the electric wire W to the protector 10 can prevent errors in the fixing position of the electric wire W on the protector 10 without having to worry about selecting an appropriate vernier according to the specifications.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc., as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, numerical values, form, number, placement, etc. of each component in the embodiments described above are arbitrary and not limited, as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0027] Herein, the features of the protector and wire harness manufacturing method according to the embodiments of the present invention described above are briefly summarized below in [1] to [5].

[0028] [1] A protector body (11) on which an electric wire (W) can be placed, The protector body is provided with a first baffle (13A) and a second baffle (13B) for selectively fixing the electric wire, The first spatula (13A) has a first through hole (14A) through which a jig pin (20) can be inserted. The second spatula (13B) has a second through-hole (14B) through which the jig pin (20) can be inserted. Protector (10).

[0029] According to the protector configuration described in [1] above, for example, when fixing an electric wire to the second bellows according to the specifications of a wire harness product, if a jig pin is inserted through the first through-hole of the first bellows, the jig pin will obstruct the placement of the electric wire on the first bellows, preventing the cable tie from being wrapped around it. Therefore, the worker will inevitably place and fix the electric wire on the second bellows, where the jig pin is not inserted. Thus, by inserting the jig pin through the through-hole of the bellows that are not to be fixed, it is possible to prevent the worker from fixing the electric wire in the wrong position without requiring any special consideration from the worker.

[0030] [2] The first bellows (13A) has a first locking portion (15A) configured to lock a cable tie (30), The second baffle (13B) has a second locking portion (15B) configured to lock the cable tie (30), The protector (10) described in [1] above.

[0031] With the protector configured as described in [2] above, the cable tie is secured to the first locking part or the second locking part, thus preventing the cable tie from shifting position.

[0032] [3] The protector body has an extended portion (13) that extends in the direction of the extension of the electric wire, The first bellows (13A) and the second bellows (13B) are arranged adjacent to each other in the extended portion (13) via a band insertion hole (131). The protector (10) described in [1] above.

[0033] [4] The first bellows (13A) has a first locking portion (15A) configured to lock a cable tie (30), The second baffle (13B) has a second locking portion (15B) configured to lock the cable tie (30), The first through hole (14A) is provided between the first locking portion (15A) and the band insertion hole (131) of the first baffle (13A). The second through hole (14B) is provided between the second locking portion (15B) and the band insertion hole (131) in the second bellows (13B). The protector (10) described in [3] above.

[0034] With the protector configurations described in [3] and [4] above, the first and second baffles, which are adjacent to each other via a band insertion hole, can be used interchangeably depending on the specifications. In this case, by inserting the jig pin through either the first or second baffle into the first or second through hole, the worker can secure the electric wire to the correct baffle.

[0035] [5] A method for manufacturing a wire harness including a protector (10) as described in any one of [1] to [4] above, On the jig plate on which the jig pin (20) is provided, the jig pin is inserted through the first through hole (14A), and the electric wire (W) placed on the protector body (11) is placed on the second bellows (13B), The electric wire and the second veranda are wrapped with cable ties (30) to secure the electric wire to the second veranda. Manufacturing method.

[0036] According to the manufacturing method of the configuration described in [5] above, for example, when fixing an electric wire to the second bellows according to the specifications of the wire harness product, if a jig pin is inserted through the first through-hole of the first bellows, the jig pin will obstruct the placement of the electric wire on the first bellows, and the cable tie cannot be wrapped around it. Therefore, the worker will inevitably place and fix the electric wire on the second bellows, which do not have the jig pin inserted through them. Thus, by inserting the jig pin through the through-hole of the bellows that are not to be fixed, it is possible to prevent the worker from fixing the electric wire in the wrong position without requiring any special care from the worker. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 10 Protectors 11 Protector body 12 Bottom wall 13 Stretching section 13A First Bell 13B Second Bell 14A First through hole 14B 2nd through hole 15A 1st locking part 15B 2nd locking part 16A 1st locking hole 16B 2nd locking hole 17, 18 side wall 19 Protector cover 20 Jig pins 30 Cable ties 121 Front wall 131 Band insertion holes 132A, 132B side wall W electric wire

Claims

1. A protector body on which electrical wires can be placed, The protector body is provided with a first and second flaps for selectively securing the electric wire, The first spatula has a first through hole through which a jig pin can be inserted, The second spatula has a second through-hole through which the jig pin can be inserted, The jig pin and the first and second through holes are configured in a position, size, and shape such that, when the jig pin is inserted through the first or second through hole, the electric wire cannot be placed on the corresponding first or second bellows. Protector.

2. The first baffle has a first locking portion configured to be able to lock a cable tie, The second baffle has a second locking portion configured to lock the cable tie, The protector according to claim 1.

3. A protector body on which an electric wire can be placed, The protector body is provided with a first and second flaps for selectively securing the electric wire, The first spatula has a first through hole through which a jig pin can be inserted, The second spatula has a second through-hole through which the jig pin can be inserted, The protector body has an extended portion that extends in the direction of the extension of the electric wire, The first and second bellows are arranged adjacent to each other in the extended portion via a band insertion hole. Protector.

4. The first baffle has a first locking portion configured to be able to lock a cable tie, The second bell has a second locking portion configured to lock the cable tie, The first through hole is provided between the first locking portion and the band insertion hole in the first bellows, The second through hole is provided between the second locking portion and the band insertion hole in the second bellows. The protector according to claim 3.

5. A method for manufacturing a wire harness including a protector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, With the jig pins inserted through the first through-holes on the jig plate on which the jig pins are provided, and the electric wires arranged on the protector body placed on the second bellows, The electric wire and the second veranda are wrapped with cable ties to secure the electric wire to the second veranda. Manufacturing method.

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