Wire harness

Abstract

A wire harness (WH) comprises an electroconductive wiring material (W) and a mold-molded member (1) that is an exterior member for the wiring material (W) and is provided integrally with the wiring material (W) so as to cover the wiring material (W). The mold-molded member (1) has a plurality of slits (3) formed from the outer surface (2) of the mold-molded member (1) toward the side where the wiring material (W) is located. When molding the mold-molded member (1) using a die (20), the wiring material (W) can be arranged at an appropriate position by controlling the position of the wiring material (W) with respect to the mold-molded member (1) by means of ribs (22) in the die (20), the ribs (22) being used for forming the slits (3) in the mold-molded member (1).

Description

Wire harness

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

[0002] An exterior material is essential for a wire harness to protect the electric wires from external structures such as steel plates of a vehicle. Conventional wire harnesses use various types of exterior materials to protect the electric wires. For example, a wire harness described in Patent Document 1 includes a bundle of electric wires and a molded body integrally provided at a mounting portion that is a part of the axial direction of the bundle of electric wires, and the molded body is made of a thermoplastic resin.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-160568

[0004] However, in conventional wire harnesses, there are many types of exterior members, and many of them cannot be attached to the electric wires without manual adjustment. In other words, although there are many types of exterior members, some of them require manual adjustment to position the wiring material, such as the electric wires, in the appropriate position on the exterior member. Therefore, conventional wire harnesses have room for improvement in terms of attaching the exterior member to the wiring material.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a wire harness in which the arrangement position of the wiring material relative to the outer casing member can be easily positioned at an appropriate position and the outer casing member can be attached to the wiring material.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the wire harness of the present invention comprises a conductive wiring material and a molded member that covers the wiring material and is formed integrally with the wiring material, and is characterized in that the molded member has a plurality of slits formed from the outer surface of the molded member toward the side where the wiring material is located.

[0007] In the wire harness according to the present invention, the molded member covering the wiring material and integrally formed with the wiring material has a plurality of slits formed from the outer surface of the molded member toward the side where the wiring material is located. Therefore, when the molded member, which is the exterior member of the wiring material, is molded using a mold, the ribs in the mold for forming the slits in the molded member can regulate the position of the wiring material relative to the molded member. By molding the molded member using a mold, the wiring material can be positioned at an appropriate position in the molded member without manually adjusting the position of the wiring material while covering any position of the wiring material with the molded member. As a result, the wiring material can be easily positioned at an appropriate position relative to the molded member, which is the exterior member of the wiring material, and the molded member can be attached to the wiring material.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire harness according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the wire harness shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main portion including a cross-section B-B in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main portion including a cross-section C-C in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mold used to form a molded member. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper mold and a lower mold of the mold shown in FIG. 6 are separated. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the upper mold and the lower mold shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the lower mold side. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the mold shown in FIG. 6 at the position of the wire harness. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a molded member of a modified wire harness according to the embodiment, in which slits are inclined with respect to the extension direction of the wiring material. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a molded member of a modified wire harness according to the embodiment, in which second slits are inclined in the same direction as the first slits. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a molded member of a modified wire harness according to the embodiment, in which second slits are inclined in a direction different from that of the first slits. Fig. 13 is a side view of a molded member in which a second slit is formed, and Fig. 14 is a plan view of a molded member in which a fixing portion for attaching the molded member to an attachment target portion is arranged, which is a modified example of the wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wire harness WH according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view of the wire harness WH shown in Fig. 1. The wire harness WH according to this embodiment is to be installed in a vehicle or the like. The wire harness WH is, for example, a composite component made by bundling multiple wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices installed in a vehicle, and the multiple wiring materials W are electrically connected to the various devices using connectors or the like. The wire harness WH includes multiple conductive wiring materials W and a molded member 1 integrally provided around the multiple wiring materials W to bundle the multiple wiring materials W. The wire harness WH may further include various other components, such as exterior members such as a corrugated tube, a resin tape, and a protector, an electrical connection box, and a fixture.

[0011] The wiring material W is composed of, for example, a metal rod, an electric wire, a bundle of electric wires, etc. The metal rod is a rod-shaped member having electrical conductivity. The electric wire is a conductor portion (core wire) made of a plurality of conductive metal wires. The bundle of electric wires is a bundle of such electric wires. Note that each wiring material W may be covered with an insulating covering portion.

[0012] The molded member 1 is provided as an exterior member for the wiring materials W. The molded member 1 is provided around the wiring materials W, covering the wiring materials W so as to bundle them along a predetermined direction in which the wiring materials W extend (hereinafter referred to as the extension direction X). The molded member 1 is formed, for example, from an insulating elastic resin material (e.g., ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM)) that has low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer. The molded member 1 is integrally provided around the wiring materials W so that the elastic resin material bundles the wiring materials W by molding. Therefore, the wire harness WH can have flexibility together with the molded member 1. The molded member 1 collectively covers a portion of the wiring materials W, and the portion of the wiring materials W is buried. In addition, the covering portion that constitutes the wiring material W is typically an insulating covering member that is provided over the entire length of the wiring material W, whereas the molded member 1 is a protective member that is provided further outside of such a covering member at a necessary location on the wiring material W for protecting the wiring material W, regulating the route, etc.

[0013] In this embodiment, the molded member 1 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with its axial direction aligned with the extension direction X of the wiring material W. The multiple wiring materials W are arranged inside the molded member 1 around the axis of the cylinder that is the shape of the molded member 1.

[0014] Furthermore, in the molded member 1 according to this embodiment, a protrusion 5, which is a gate mark left when the molded member 1 is formed by injection molding, protrudes from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 and is formed on a part of the outer surface 2. That is, the protrusion 5 formed on the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 is a mark left by an injection portion of a resin material into a mold 20 (see FIG. 6 ) when the molded member 1 is injection molded using the mold 20. The protrusion 5 is formed on the outer surface 2 near the center of the molded member 1 in the extension direction X of the wiring material W.

[0015] The molded member 1 has a plurality of slits 3 formed from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 toward the side where the wiring material W is located. In other words, the molded member 1 covers the plurality of wiring materials W, and the wiring materials W are arranged inside the molded member 1, so the plurality of slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 are formed from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 toward the inside of the molded member 1.

[0016] The plurality of slits 3 thus formed in the molded member 1 are formed so that the longitudinal direction of the slits 3 is perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. In other words, each slit 3 is formed so that the width direction of the slit 3 is the extension direction X of the wiring material W.

[0017] The slits 3 are formed on both sides of the wiring material W in the molded member 1. Specifically, a plurality of slits 3 are formed on each side of the wiring material W in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, including the direction in which the protrusion 5 is formed. The slits 3 formed on both sides of the wiring material W are formed at positions different from each other in the extension direction X of the wiring material W.

[0018] That is, of the slits 3 formed on both sides of the wiring material W, the slit 3 formed on the side where the protrusion 5 is located relative to the wiring material W is designated as the first slit 3a, and the slit 3 formed on the opposite side of the side where the protrusion 5 is located relative to the wiring material W is designated as the second slit 3b, the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b are positioned differently in the extension direction X of the wiring material W. In this embodiment, the first slits 3a and the second slits 3b formed in the molded member 1 in plurality are alternately formed in the extension direction X of the wiring material W.

[0019] The first slits 3a are arranged at equal intervals on both sides of the protrusion 5 in the extension direction X of the wiring material W. Similarly, the second slits 3b are arranged at equal intervals on both sides of the protrusion 5 in the extension direction X of the wiring material W.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main portion including the line B-B in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main portion including the line C-C in FIG. 1. The slits 3 formed in the molded member 1, both the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b, are formed in a range of half the circumference of the molded member 1, centered on the axis of the cylinder, i.e., a range of approximately 180°, when viewed in the extension direction X of the wiring material W. In this way, the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b, each formed in a range of half the circumference of the cylinder, are formed at different positions in the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the cylinder, and are formed in ranges that do not substantially overlap each other in the circumferential direction.

[0021] In addition, the shape of the bottom 3c of each of the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b is formed in a substantially arc shape that is concentric with the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 when viewed in the extension direction X of the wiring material W. Furthermore, the depth of the slit 3 from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 to the bottom 3c of the slit 3 is shallower than the depth from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 to the position where the wiring material W is arranged. In other words, the wiring material W is arranged at a position deeper from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 than the depth from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 to the bottom 3c of the slit 3.

[0022] For this reason, the resin material forming the molded member 1 is interposed between the wiring material W arranged inside the molded member 1 and the bottom 3c of the slit 3. As a result, even at the position where the slit 3 is formed in the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the wiring material W is not exposed inside the slit 3, but is covered with the resin material forming the molded member 1 and is arranged inside the molded member 1.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mold 20 used to form the molded member 1. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the mold 20 shown in FIG. 6 with the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b separated. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b shown in FIG. 7, viewed from the lower mold 20b side. The molded member 1 of the wire harness WH is formed using a mold 20 having a forming portion 21 for forming the molded member 1. In this embodiment, the mold 20 has an upper mold 20a and a lower mold 20b, and when forming the molded member 1, the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b are stacked vertically. That is, the upper mold 20a is stacked above the lower mold 20b.

[0024] A plurality of positioning pins 25 are arranged on the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower molds 20a and 20b to align the upper and lower molds 20a and 20b when they are overlapped. The positioning pins 25 are arranged on the lower mold 20b by fitting into the lower mold 20b, and are formed on the surface of the lower mold 20b facing the upper mold 20a, protruding toward the side where the upper mold 20a is located. The upper mold 20a has positioning holes 26 formed in positions corresponding to the positioning pins 25, and when the upper and lower molds 20a and 20b are overlapped during molding of the molded member 1, the positioning is performed by inserting the positioning pins 25 into the positioning holes 26.

[0025] Molding portions 21 for molding the molded member 1 are formed in both the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b. More specifically, a first molding portion 21a, which is a molding portion 21, is formed on the surface of the upper mold 20a facing the lower mold 20b, and a second molding portion 21b, which is a molding portion 21, is formed on the surface of the lower mold 20b facing the upper mold 20a. The first molding portion 21a and the second molding portion 21b are formed in shapes that can mold the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1. The first molding portion 21a and the second molding portion 21b are each formed in shapes that can mold the outer surface 2 within a range of approximately 180° in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical shape of the molded member 1.

[0026] Ribs 22 for forming slits 3 in the molded member 1 are arranged in the molding section 21 of the mold 20. A first rib 22a, which is a rib 22 for forming the first slits 3a in the molded member 1, is arranged in the first molding section 21a, and a second rib 22b, which is a rib 22 for forming the second slits 3b in the molded member 1, is arranged in the second molding section 21b. The first rib 22a and the second rib 22b are each formed at a fixed height from the surface that forms the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 in the first molding section 21a or the second molding section 21b.

[0027] The upper mold 20a is also formed with an insertion hole 20aa, which is a hole for inserting a nozzle (not shown) of an injection device (not shown) when injecting a resin material into the mold 20 during molding of the molded member 1. The insertion hole 20aa is formed as a hole that communicates with the first molding portion 21a from the surface of the upper mold 20a opposite to the surface facing the lower mold 20b.

[0028] Next, the molding of the molded member 1 using the mold 20 will be described. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the mold 20 shown in Fig. 6 at the position of the wire harness WH. When molding the molded member 1 using the mold 20, the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b are overlapped with each other in a state in which the wiring material W passes through the inside of the first molded portion 21a of the upper mold 20a and the second molded portion 21b of the lower mold 20b. At this time, a first rib 22a is formed in the first molded portion 21a of the upper mold 20a and a second rib 22b is formed in the second molded portion 21b of the lower mold 20b, so that the wiring material W is positioned inside the molded portion 21 without being biased toward either the upper mold 20a or the lower mold 20b.

[0029] That is, since the first molding portion 21a has the first rib 22a, the movement of the wiring material W toward the side where the upper mold 20a is located is restricted by the first rib 22a, and the deviation of the wiring material W toward the upper mold 20a is restricted by the first rib 22a. Similarly, since the second molding portion 21b has the second rib 22b, the movement of the wiring material W toward the side where the lower mold 20b is located is restricted by the second rib 22b, and the deviation of the wiring material W toward the lower mold 20b is restricted by the second rib 22b.

[0030] Furthermore, since the first rib 22a and the second rib 22b are formed at a fixed height from the surface that forms the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 in the first molded portion 21a and the second molded portion 21b, the first rib 22a and the second rib 22b also restrict deviation of the wiring material W in each direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. As a result, the wiring material W arranged inside the molded portion 21 is arranged in a position near the axis of the cylinder that is the shape of the molded member 1.

[0031] When molding the molded member 1 using the mold 20, the wiring material W is passed inside the molding portion 21 as described above, and with the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b overlapping, molten resin material is injected into the molding portion 21. The resin material is injected into the molding portion 21 by inserting the nozzle of an injection device into the insertion hole 20aa formed in the upper mold 20a and injecting the molten resin material from the nozzle, thereby injecting the resin material into the molding portion 21. As a result, the resin material fills the space formed by the first molding portion 21a of the upper mold 20a and the second molding portion 21b of the lower mold 20b.

[0032] The resin material filled in the molding section 21 hardens as it cools over time. As a result, the resin material is formed into the molded member 1 that covers the wiring material W arranged inside. Once the resin material in the molding section 21 hardens to form the molded member 1, the upper mold 20a and the lower mold 20b are separated from each other, and the molded member 1 formed by the mold 20 is removed.

[0033] Here, since the resin material is not filled at the position of the rib 22 formed in the molded portion 21 of the mold 20, the portion of the molded portion 21 where the rib 22 is to be arranged is formed as a slit 3 in the molded member 1. That is, the portion of the first molded portion 21a where the first rib 22a is to be arranged is formed as a first slit 3a in the molded member 1, and the portion of the second molded portion 21b where the second rib 22b is to be arranged is formed as a second slit 3b in the molded member 1. As a result, the molded member 1 molded by the mold 20 has a plurality of slits 3 aligned in the extension direction X of the wiring material W. Note that, depending on the orientation of the wiring material W when the molded member 1 is injection molded relative to the wiring material W, a portion of the wiring material W may abut against the rib 22 during molding, and a portion of the wiring material W may be exposed at the slit 3 toward the bottom 3c.

[0034] The wire harness WH having the molded member 1 thus formed using the mold 20 is routed in any part of a vehicle, etc. At this time, the molded member 1 is easily flexible due to the presence of the multiple slits 3. Therefore, the wire harness WH can be easily routed by bending the molded member 1 as necessary depending on the surrounding conditions of the part of the wire harness WH where the molded member 1 is to be placed.

[0035] Furthermore, since the molded member 1 has the protrusions 5, when the molded member 1 is to be placed at a desired position, the positioning can be determined by the protrusions 5. This allows the molded member 1 to be placed at an appropriate position when routing the wire harness WH.

[0036] In the wire harness WH according to the above embodiment, the molded member 1, which covers the wiring material W and is integral with the wiring material W, has a plurality of slits 3 formed from the outer surface 2 of the molded member 1 toward the side where the wiring material W is located. Therefore, when the molded member 1 is formed using a mold 20, the ribs 22 for forming the slits 3 in the molded member 1 in the mold 20 can regulate the position of the wiring material W relative to the molded member 1. As a result, by forming the molded member 1 using the mold 20, any position of the wiring material W can be covered with the molded member 1, and the wiring material W can be positioned at an appropriate position in the molded member 1 without manually adjusting the position of the wiring material W. As a result, the wiring material W can be easily positioned at an appropriate position relative to the molded member 1, and the molded member 1 can be attached to the wiring material W.

[0037] Furthermore, since the slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 are perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the molded member 1 can be easily bent in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. As a result, when the molded member 1 is injection molded onto the wiring material W, the ribs 22 forming the slits 3 can more effectively prevent the wiring material W from coming apart. Furthermore, when the molded member 1 is arranged at a desired position, the molded member 1 can be bent as needed to improve the ease of arrangement. As a result, the ease of routing the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0038] Furthermore, because the slits 3 are formed on both sides of the wiring material W in the molded member 1, the molded member 1 can be easily bent toward the sides where the slits 3 are located. In other words, since the molded member 1 has the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b formed on opposite sides of the molded member 1, when the molded member 1 is injection molded around the wiring material W, the first rib 22a forming the first slit 3a and the second rib 22b forming the second slit 3b can more effectively prevent the wiring material W from coming apart from both sides. Furthermore, because the molded member 1 has the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b, it can be easily bent toward the side where the first slit 3a and the side where the second slit 3b are located. This allows the molded member 1 to be bent in multiple directions when placing the molded member 1 at an arbitrary position, improving the ease of placement of the molded member 1. As a result, the ease of routing the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0039] Furthermore, since the slits 3 on both sides of the wiring material W are formed at different positions in the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the slits 3 can be easily provided on both sides of the wiring material W. This allows the molded member 1 to be easily bent in multiple directions, improving the ease of placement when placing the molded member 1 at an arbitrary position. As a result, the ease of routing the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0040] Furthermore, the first slits 3a and the second slits 3b formed in the molded member 1 are alternately arranged in the extension direction X of the wiring material W, thereby improving the flexibility of the molded member 1 when bending. In other words, because the first slits 3a and the second slits 3b are alternately arranged in the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the molded member 1 can be bent with a small radius of curvature when bending. This improves the ease of arranging the molded member 1 at any position. As a result, the ease of routing the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0041] [Modifications] In the above-described embodiment, the slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 are formed in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. However, the slits 3 may be formed in a direction other than this. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the molded member 1, which is a modification of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment, in which the slits 3 are inclined with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the molded member 1, which is a modification of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment, in which the second slits 3b are inclined in the same direction as the first slits 3a. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the molded member 1, which is a modification of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment, in which the second slits 3b are inclined in a direction different from the first slits 3a. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the multiple slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 may be formed inclined with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. In other words, the multiple first slits 3a formed in the molded member 1 may be formed at an angle with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W and a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, as shown in Figure 10.

[0042] In this case, the second slit 3b formed on the side opposite to the side on which the first slit 3a is formed in the molded member 1 may be inclined in the same direction as the first slit 3a with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, as shown in Figure 11, or the second slit 3b may be inclined in a direction different from the direction in which the first slit 3a is inclined with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, as shown in Figure 12.

[0043] The slits 3 in the molded member 1 are formed at an angle relative to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, allowing the molded member 1 to be bent obliquely according to the angle of the slits 3. For example, if multiple slits 3 are inclined in the same direction relative to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the molded member 1 can be bent in a spiral shape as a whole by bending the molded member 1 in the same oblique direction at each slit 3. By inclining the slits 3 relative to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the molded member 1 can be bent obliquely. Therefore, by inclining the slits 3 according to the position of the molded member 1, the molded member 1 can be bent according to the position of the molded member 1. Therefore, the molded member 1 can be easily positioned at any desired location. As a result, the ease of routing the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0044] In addition, when the slits 3 are formed at an angle with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, all of the slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 do not have to be at an angle with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. Of the multiple slits 3 formed in the molded member 1, some of the slits 3 may be at an angle with respect to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, and other slits 3 may be perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. Since the slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 affect the bending direction of the molded member 1, it is preferable that the multiple slits 3 are formed at an appropriate angle for each slit 3 depending on the arrangement position and arrangement form of the molded member 1.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the slits 3 are formed on both sides of the wiring material W in the molded member 1. However, the slits 3 may be formed only on one side of the molded member 1 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W. FIG. 13 is a side view of a modified example of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment, showing the molded member 1 in which the second slits 3b are formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the multiple slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 may be formed only in the second slits 3b without the first slits 3a. By forming the second slits 3b on one side of the molded member 1 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the molded member 1 can be easily bent.

[0046] Furthermore, since the slit 3 is not formed at the other side of the molded member 1 in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction X of the wiring material W, the protective performance of the wiring material W can be improved on the side where the slit 3 is not formed. As a result, when the side on which the protective performance of the wiring material W in the molded member 1 is to be improved is determined, the slit 3 is not formed on the side on which the protective performance is to be improved, and the slit 3 is formed only on the opposite side, thereby achieving both the protective performance of the wiring material W and the ease of bending the molded member 1. As a result, the protective performance of the wiring material W by the molded member 1 and the ease of wiring the wire harness WH can be achieved at the same time.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the slits 3 formed in the molded member 1 are formed over the entire range in the extension direction X of the wiring material W, but the slits 3 do not have to be formed over the entire range of the molded member 1. Fig. 14 is a plan view of the molded member 1, showing a modified example of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment, in which fixing portions 10 for attaching the molded member 1 to an attachment target portion are arranged. When the molded member 1 is arranged with fixing portions 10 for attaching the molded member 1 to an attachment target portion as shown in Fig. 14, it is preferable that the slits 3 be formed at positions on the molded member 1 other than the positions where the fixing portions 10 are arranged.

[0048] In this case, the attachment target is a portion of the vehicle where the molded member 1 is attached. The fixing portion 10 is, for example, a clamp or clip, and can be attached to the attachment target directly or by using a bolt or the like. Note that the fixing portion 10 does not have to be a separate body from the molded member 1, and may be formed integrally with the molded member 1.

[0049] In this way, the fixing portion 10 is disposed on the molded member 1, and the slit 3 is not provided at the position where the fixing portion 10 is disposed on the molded member 1, thereby ensuring strength in the vicinity of the fixing portion 10 on the molded member 1. This ensures attachment strength when the molded member 1 is attached to the attachment target portion by the fixing portion 10.

[0050] Furthermore, by forming slits 3 at positions in the molded member 1 other than where the fixing portions 10 are disposed, the ribs 22 that form the slits 3 in the mold 20 can prevent the wiring material W from becoming biased. This allows the wiring material W to be disposed at an appropriate position within the molded member 1. Furthermore, by forming slits 3 at positions in the molded member 1 other than where the fixing portions 10 are disposed, the molded member 1 can be easily bent, thereby improving the positionability of the molded member 1. As a result, the wiring material W can be easily disposed at an appropriate position relative to the molded member 1 and attached to the wiring material W, and the attachment strength of the molded member 1 and the ease of routing the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, six first slits 3a and seven second slits 3b are formed in the molded member 1, but the number of first slits 3a and second slits 3b may be other than this. In the above-described embodiment, the first slits 3a and the second slits 3b are arranged at equal intervals on both sides of the protrusion 5 in the extension direction X of the wiring material W, but the first slits 3a and the second slits 3b do not have to be arranged at equal intervals.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, when the side of the molded member 1 where the protrusion 5 is located is defined as the upper side, the first slit 3a is formed on the upper side and the second slit 3b is formed on the lower side. However, the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b may be formed at positions other than the upper and lower sides. When the side of the molded member 1 where the protrusion 5 is located is defined as the upper side, the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b may be formed on side surfaces that are opposite each other. It is preferable that the first slit 3a and the second slit 3b are appropriately positioned depending on the position where the molded member 1 is positioned and the bending manner of the molded member 1 associated with the positioning form.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, the molded member 1 directly covers the wiring material W, but the molded member 1 may cover the wiring material W that is covered with an insulating coating or an outer coating. As long as the molded member 1 can cover a portion of the wiring material W, it does not matter whether the wiring material W itself has an insulating coating or an outer coating.

[0054] Furthermore, the wire harnesses according to the above-described embodiments and modifications of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The wire harnesses according to the present embodiments and modifications may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the above-described embodiments and modifications.

[0055] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 molded member 2 outer surface 3 slit 3a first slit 3b second slit 3c bottom 5 protrusion 10 fixing portion 20 mold 20a upper mold 20aa insertion hole 20b lower mold 21 molded portion 21a first molded portion 21b second molded portion 22 rib 22a first rib 22b second rib 25 positioning pin 26 positioning hole W wiring material WH wire harness

Claims

1. A wire harness comprising: a conductive wiring material; and a molded member that covers the wiring material and is formed integrally with the wiring material, the molded member having a plurality of slits formed from an outer surface of the molded member toward the side where the wiring material is located.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the slit is perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring material.

3. A wire harness as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slit is inclined with respect to the extending direction of the wiring material and with respect to a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring material.

4. The wire harness according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the slits are formed on both sides of the wiring material in the molded member.

5. A wire harness as set forth in claim 4, wherein the slits on both sides of the wiring material are formed at different positions in the extension direction of the wiring material.

6. A wire harness as set forth in claim 2 or 3, wherein the slit is formed only at one side of the molded member in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the wiring material.

7. A wire harness as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the molded member has a fixing portion arranged thereon for attaching the molded member to an attachment target portion, and the slit is formed at a position on the molded member other than the position at which the fixing portion is arranged.

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