Electric wire fixing member, and wire harness

Abstract

An electric wire fixing member (30) comprises a fixing member (31) which has a fixing part (33) that is fixable to an underfloor panel, and a cable tie (32) which is a separate component from the fixing member (31). The fixing member (31) has a contact part (34) which is capable of contacting a portion of the outer peripheral surface of an electric wire member (20), and an insertion hole (35) through which the cable tie (32) can be inserted so that the electric wire member (20) can be tied to the contact part (34) by the cable tie (32).

Description

Wire fixing member and wire harness

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire fixing member and a wire harness.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a wire harness provided with a wire fixing member that holds electric wire members and is fixed to a vehicle body. Such a wire fixing member has a fixing portion that can be fixed to the vehicle and a band portion that is integrally molded with the fixing portion and that can bind the electric wire members (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-196236

[0004] However, the material, thickness, width, etc. required for the band portion of the above-mentioned wire fixing member vary depending on the environment, such as the ambient temperature of the area where the wire fixing member is fixed, and the type of wire member to be fixed, such as its weight. Therefore, it has been necessary to design and manufacture the entire wire fixing member depending on the environment and the type of wire member to be fixed. Designing and manufacturing the entire wire fixing member results in, for example, increased costs, so there is a demand for improved versatility of wire fixing members.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wire fixing member and a wire harness that can improve versatility.

[0006] The wire fixing member of the present disclosure comprises a fixing member having a fixing portion that can be fixed to a fixing object, and a cable tie that is a separate part from the fixing member, and the fixing member has a contact portion that can come into contact with a portion of the outer surface of the wire member, and an insertion hole through which the cable tie can be inserted so that the wire member can be fixed to the contact portion by the cable tie.

[0007] The wire fixing member of the present disclosure has improved versatility.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a wiring path of a wire harness in one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the wire harness in one embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness in one embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fixing member in one embodiment. Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wire harness in one embodiment.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The electric wire fastener of the present disclosure includes: [1] a fastener having a fastening portion that can be fastened to a fastening object, and a cable tie that is a separate part from the fastener, the fastener having a contact portion that can come into contact with a part of an outer circumferential surface of an electric wire member, and an insertion hole through which the cable tie can be inserted so that the electric wire member can be fastened to the contact portion by the cable tie.

[0010] According to this configuration, the fixing member has a contact portion that can contact a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire member and an insertion hole through which the cable tie can be inserted so that the electric wire member can be fastened to the contact portion with the cable tie, thereby making it easy to fasten the electric wire member with the cable tie. Furthermore, because the cable tie is a separate component from the fixing member, for example, it is possible to select the necessary cable tie depending on the environment and the type of electric wire member to be fastened while using the same fixing member. In other words, the material, thickness, and width of the cable tie can be changed to stably fasten the electric wire member depending on the environment and the type of electric wire member to be fastened. Therefore, the fixing member can be a general-purpose product, eliminating the need to design and manufacture the entire electric wire fixing member.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the electric wire member may have a circular outer periphery, and the contact portion may have an arcuate surface that can be in surface contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire member. According to this configuration, since the contact portion has an arcuate surface that can be in surface contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire member, rattle of the electric wire member relative to the electric wire fastening member can be suppressed. Therefore, for example, collision of the electric wire member with other members can be suppressed.

[0012] [3] In the above [2], the arcuate surface may be formed so as to be able to come into contact with an area of ​​at least one-fourth of the outer periphery of the electric wire member. According to this configuration, since the arcuate surface is formed so as to be able to come into contact with an area of ​​at least one-fourth of the outer periphery of the electric wire member, rattle of the electric wire member relative to the electric wire fixing member can be further suppressed. Therefore, for example, collision of the electric wire member with other members can be further suppressed.

[0013] [4] In the above [2] or [3], an opening communicating with the insertion hole may be provided in a middle portion of the arcuate surface along the extension direction of the electric wire member. According to this configuration, an opening communicating with the insertion hole is provided in a middle portion of the arcuate surface along the extension direction of the electric wire member, thereby reducing the material cost of the fixing member compared to a configuration in which no opening is provided. Furthermore, the arcuate surface contacts the electric wire member on both sides of the opening along the extension direction of the electric wire member, so that the contact with the electric wire member is achieved over a long range along the extension direction of the electric wire member. Therefore, rattle of the electric wire member relative to the wire fixing member is not increased compared to a configuration in which no opening is provided.

[0014] [5] In any one of [1] to [4] above, the contact portion and the insertion hole may be provided as a pair with the fixing portion as the center of symmetry. According to this configuration, since the contact portion and the insertion hole are provided as a pair with the fixing portion as the center of symmetry, for example, it is possible to fix two electric wire members to a fixing object while holding them in a balanced manner with one fixing member.

[0015] [6] In any one of [1] to [5] above, the wire member may have a corrugated tube in which large diameter sections and small diameter sections are alternately arranged along the extension direction, and the fixing member may have a restricting protrusion that restricts movement of the corrugated tube along the extension direction by entering between two adjacent large diameter sections.

[0016] According to this configuration, the fixing member has a restricting protrusion that restricts movement of the corrugated tube along its extension direction by entering between two adjacent large diameter portions of the corrugated tube, thereby restricting movement of the corrugated tube along its extension direction.

[0017] A wire harness according to the present disclosure includes: [7] the wire fixing member according to any one of [1] to [6] above; and the wire member.

[0018] According to this configuration, the fixing member in the wire harness can be a general-purpose product, eliminating the need to design and manufacture the entire wire fixing member. [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from one drawing to another. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0019] 1 electrically connects two or more electrical devices. The wire harness 10 of the present embodiment electrically connects an inverter 11 installed in the front of a vehicle V, such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, to a high-voltage battery 12 installed behind the inverter 11 on the vehicle V.

[0020] The inverter 11 is connected to a wheel drive motor (not shown) that serves as a power source for running the vehicle. The inverter 11 generates AC power from DC power from a high-voltage battery 12 and supplies the AC power to the motor. The high-voltage battery 12 is a battery capable of supplying a voltage of, for example, several hundred volts.

[0021] The wire harness 10 is routed, for example, so as to pass under the floor of the vehicle V. Specifically, for example, the wire harness 10 is routed so as to extend from the inverter 11 to below an underfloor panel 13 of the vehicle V, further pass under the underfloor panel 13 to extend to the rear of the vehicle V, and further extend upward to the high-voltage battery 12. Note that the terms "upper" and "lower" used in describing the wire harness 10 in this embodiment refer to the upper and lower sides when the wire harness 10 is fixed to the vehicle V.

[0022] 2 and 3, the wire harness 10 includes an electric wire member 20 and an electric wire fixing member 30. (Configuration of the electric wire member 20) As shown in Fig. 2 and 3, the electric wire member 20 includes one or more electric wires 21, a tubular braided wire 22 that covers the outer periphery of the electric wires 21, and a corrugated tube 23 that is an exterior material. The electric wire member 20 of this embodiment includes two electric wires 21. One end of the electric wire 21 is connected to the inverter 11, and the other end of the electric wire 21 is connected to the high-voltage battery 12. The electric wire 21 is, for example, a high-voltage wire that can handle high voltage and large current.

[0023] (Configuration of Electric Wire 21 ) Each electric wire 21 is a coated electric wire having a core wire 24 made of a conductor and an insulating coating 25 that coats the outer periphery of the core wire 24 .

[0024] The core wire 24 may be, for example, a twisted wire made of a plurality of conductive wires twisted together, or a single-core wire. The core wire 24 may be made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum. The cross section of the core wire 24 in this embodiment is formed to have a perfect circular shape.

[0025] The insulating coating 25 covers the entire outer periphery of the core wire 24. The insulating coating 25 is made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin containing, as a main component, a polyolefin resin such as cross-linked polyethylene or cross-linked polypropylene.

[0026] (Configuration of the braided wire 22) The braided wire 22 is formed by weaving conductive wires. For example, a copper-based or aluminum-based metal material can be used as the material for the braided wire 22. The braided wire 22 of this embodiment covers two electric wires 21 together. That is, the braided wire 22 of this embodiment is a multi-core lumped shield braided wire. Note that each figure shows a schematic diagram of the weaving of the wires of the braided wire 22. Furthermore, each end of the braided wire 22 is directly or indirectly connected to an earth member (not shown) such as a vehicle body or a metal case.

[0027] (Configuration of the corrugated tube 23) The corrugated tube 23 is made of a resin material such as polyolefin, polyamide, polyester, or ABS resin. The corrugated tube 23 is cylindrical and has a bellows structure in which large-diameter portions 23a and small-diameter portions 23b are alternately arranged along the extending direction of the corrugated tube 23. The bellows structure gives the corrugated tube 23 flexibility and makes it easily bendable. The corrugated tube 23 is arranged to cover the two electric wires 21 and the braided wire 22. The corrugated tube 23 protects the two electric wires 21 and the braided wire 22 from, for example, flying stones from the ground. The outer periphery of the corrugated tube 23, which forms the outer periphery of the electric wire member 20, is circular.

[0028] (Configuration of Electric Wire Fixing Member 30 ) The electric wire fixing member 30 includes a fixing member 31 and a binding band 32 that is a separate part from the fixing member 31 .

[0029] (Configuration of fixing member 31) The fixing member 31 is made of a resin material. The fixing member 31 has a fixing portion 33 that can be fixed to the underfloor panel 13 as a fixing target. The fixing member 31 also has a contact portion 34 that can come into contact with a part of the outer surface of the electric wire member 20, and an insertion hole 35 through which the cable tie 32 can be inserted so that the electric wire member 20 can be tied to the contact portion 34 by the cable tie 32.

[0030] 3, a stud bolt 14 is provided on the underfloor panel 13. The stud bolt 14 is provided such that a shaft portion 15 protrudes downward from the underfloor panel 13 toward the ground.

[0031] The fixing portion 33 has an insertion portion 33a into which the shank 15 of the stud bolt 14 can be inserted, and a plurality of engagement claws 33b that protrude from the inner surface of the insertion portion 33a and can elastically engage with the thread groove or circumferential groove of the shank 15 of the stud bolt 14. In this embodiment, the plurality of engagement claws 33b are provided in pairs, one above the other, on two tiers, with the shank 15 sandwiched between them in the radial direction. As a result, the fixing portion 33 can be fixed to the stud bolt 14 and underfloor panel 13 by the engagement claws 33b engaging with the shank 15 when the shank 15 is inserted into the insertion portion 33a.

[0032] The contact portions 34 and the insertion holes 35 are provided in pairs with the fixed portion 33 as the center of symmetry. In this embodiment, the contact portions 34 and the insertion holes 35 are provided outside of the portions corresponding to the pair of engaging claws 33b that are provided on either side of the shaft portion 15 in the radial direction. More specifically, the fixed member 31 has a pair of bulging portions 36 that bulge outwardly from the fixed portion 33 outside of the portions corresponding to the pair of engaging claws 33b that are provided on either side of the shaft portion 15 in the radial direction, and each of the bulging portions 36 is provided with a contact portion 34 and an insertion hole 35.

[0033] The contact portion 34 is an end surface of the bulging portion 36 in the bulging direction. The contact portion 34 has an arcuate surface 37 that can come into surface contact with the outer circumferential surface of the wire member 20, more specifically, the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 23a of the corrugated tube 23. In this embodiment, the entire contact portion 34 is the arcuate surface 37. The arcuate surface 37 is formed so as to be able to come into contact with the outer periphery of the wire member 20, more specifically, with an area of ​​at least one-fourth of the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 23a of the corrugated tube 23. The insertion hole 35 is provided so as to pass through the bulging portion 36 in the vertical direction.

[0034] 2 and 4, an opening 38 communicating with the insertion hole 35 is provided in an intermediate portion of the arcuate surface 37 along the extension direction of the electric wire member 20 (see FIG. 2). With this configuration, the arcuate surface 37 can come into contact with the electric wire member 20 on both sides of the opening 38 along the extension direction of the electric wire member 20.

[0035] 4 and 5, the fixing member 31 has a restricting protrusion 39 that restricts movement of the corrugated tube 23 along the extension direction by getting between two adjacent large diameter portions 23a (see FIG. 5) of the corrugated tube 23. The restricting protrusion 39 protrudes from the arc surface 37. In this embodiment, a pair of restricting protrusions 39 are provided along the extension direction of the corrugated tube 23. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the restricting protrusions 39 are provided in two stages, one above the other and one below the other, with an opening 38 between them.

[0036] 2 and 3 , the cable tie 32 has a flexible strip-shaped portion 32a and a locking portion 32b that is provided at a base end in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped portion 32a and locks the strip-shaped portion 32a. The cable tie 32 is configured such that the strip-shaped portion 32a is passed through the insertion hole 35 and passed through the locking portion 32b so as to surround the electric wire member 20, more specifically, the corrugated tube 23, thereby binding the electric wire member 20 to the contact portion 34. Note that the cable tie 32 in this embodiment is made of a resin material.

[0037] (Operation of the embodiment) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the wire harness 10 configured as described above. The electric wire members 20 are fixed to the underfloor panel 13 by the electric wire fixing member 30 including the fixing member 31 and the cable tie 32.

[0038] Here, the cable tie 32 is selected depending on, for example, the environment, such as the ambient temperature, of the portion where the electric wire fixing member 30 is fixed, and the weight and other characteristics of the electric wire member 20 to be fixed. That is, for example, if the electric wire fixing member 30 is fixed in a portion where the ambient temperature is high, a cable tie 32 made of a material that can withstand that high temperature is selected. Also, for example, if the electric wire member 20 is heavy, a cable tie 32 with a thickness and width corresponding to that weight is selected. This allows the electric wire member 20 to be stably fixed to the electric wire fixing member 30.

[0039] (Effects of the Embodiment) Next, the effects of the above embodiment are described below. (1) The fixing member 31 has a contact portion 34 that can contact a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire member 20 and an insertion hole 35 through which the cable tie 32 can be inserted so that the electric wire member 20 can be fastened to the contact portion 34 by the cable tie 32. Therefore, the electric wire member 20 can be easily fastened by the cable tie 32. Furthermore, because the cable tie 32 is a separate component from the fixing member 31, for example, while using the same fixing member 31, it is possible to select the necessary cable tie 32 depending on the environment and the type of electric wire member 20 to be fastened. In other words, the material, thickness, and width of the cable tie 32 can be changed to stably fasten the electric wire member 20 depending on the environment and the type of electric wire member 20 to be fastened. Therefore, the fixing member 31 can be a general-purpose product, eliminating the need to design and manufacture the entire electric wire fixing member 30. As a result, for example, increases in costs can be suppressed.

[0040] (2) The contact portion 34 has the arcuate surface 37 that can come into surface contact with the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire member 20, which can prevent the electric wire member 20 from rattling relative to the electric wire fastening member 30. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the electric wire member 20 from colliding with other members.

[0041] (3) The arcuate surface 37 is formed so as to be able to come into contact with at least one-fourth of the outer periphery of the electric wire member 20, which can further reduce rattling of the electric wire member 20 relative to the electric wire fixing member 30. Therefore, for example, it can further reduce collision of the electric wire member 20 with other members.

[0042] (4) The opening 38 communicating with the insertion hole 35 is provided in the middle portion of the arcuate surface 37 along the extension direction of the electric wire member 20, and therefore, the material cost of the fixing member 31 can be reduced, for example, compared to a configuration without the opening 38. Note that the arcuate surface 37 contacts the electric wire member 20 on both sides of the opening 38 along the extension direction of the electric wire member 20, and therefore contacts the electric wire member 20 over a long range along the extension direction of the electric wire member 20. Therefore, rattle of the electric wire member 20 relative to the wire fixing member 30 does not increase, compared to a configuration without the opening 38.

[0043] (5) The contact portion 34 and the insertion hole 35 are provided as a pair with the fixing portion 33 as the center of symmetry. Therefore, for example, one fixing member 31 can fix two electric wire members 20 to the underfloor panel 13 while holding them in a balanced manner.

[0044] (6) The fixing member 31 has a restricting protrusion 39 that restricts movement of the corrugated tube 23 along the extension direction by entering between two adjacent large diameter portions 23a of the corrugated tube 23, thereby restricting movement of the corrugated tube 23 along the extension direction.

[0045] (Modifications) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the contact portion 34 has the arcuate surface 37 that can come into surface contact with the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire member 20. However, this is not limited to this, and the contact portion 34 may be configured without the arcuate surface 37. For example, the contact portion 34 may be configured with one or more flat surfaces.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the arc surface 37 is formed so as to be able to come into contact with an area of ​​at least 1 / 4 of the outer periphery of the wire member 20, but this is not limited to this, and the arc surface 37 may be formed so as to come into contact with an area of ​​less than 1 / 4 of the outer periphery of the wire member 20.

[0048] In the above embodiment, an opening 38 communicating with the insertion hole 35 is provided in the middle portion of the arc surface 37 along the extension direction of the electric wire member 20, but this is not limited to this, and the configuration may also be such that the opening 38 is not provided.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the contact portion 34 and the insertion hole 35 are provided as a pair with the fixing portion 33 as the center of symmetry, but this is not limited thereto and the fixing member 31 may not be provided as a pair. In the above embodiment, the fixing member 31 has the restricting protrusion 39 that fits between the two adjacent large diameter portions 23a of the corrugated tube 23, but this is not limited thereto and the fixing member 31 may not have the restricting protrusion 39.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the cable tie 32 is made of a resin material, but is not limited to this and may be made of, for example, a metal material. That is, whether the cable tie 32 is made of a resin material or a metal material may be selected depending on the environment and the type of electric wire member 20 to be fixed.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the electric wire member 20 includes two electric wires 21, a cylindrical braided wire 22, and a corrugated tube 23 as an exterior material. However, the electric wire member may have another configuration as long as it includes at least one electric wire 21. For example, the electric wire member may include three or more electric wires 21. Furthermore, for example, the electric wire member may not include the cylindrical braided wire 22. Furthermore, for example, the electric wire member may not include the corrugated tube 23. Furthermore, the electric wire member may include an exterior material other than the corrugated tube 23.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the fixing object to which the fixing member 31 is fixed is the underfloor panel 13, but this is not limited thereto and other fixing objects may be used. Also, the fixing member 31 is configured to have the fixing portion 33 that can be fixed to the stud bolt 14 provided on the underfloor panel 13, but the configuration of the fixing portion 33 may be changed depending on the fixing object. That is, the fixing portion 33 is configured to have the insertion portion 33a and the engagement claw 33b, but this is not limited thereto and may be configured to be fixed to the fixing object using other configurations without the insertion portion 33a and the engagement claw 33b.

[0053] In the illustrated non-limiting embodiment, the arcuate surface 37 of the wire fixation member 30 can have an arc length corresponding to at least one-quarter of the outer circumferential length of the corrugated tube 23. As shown in Fig. 3 , when an arc that is at least one-quarter of the outer circumferential length of the corrugated tube 23 faces the arcuate surface 37 of the wire fixation member 30 at a certain length position of the corrugated tube 23, the remaining portion of the outer circumferential length of the corrugated tube 23 that does not face the arcuate surface 37 of the wire fixation member 30 may face and / or contact the cable tie 32.

[0054] 4 and 5 , each restricting protrusion 39 may be a plate-like protrusion having a thickness, length, and height. A portion of the arc surface 37 may extend between the plate surfaces of the two restricting protrusions 39 of the fixing member 31. When the two restricting protrusions 39 of the fixing member 31 are accommodated in two gaps between the large-diameter portions 23 a of the corrugated tube 23 and a cable tie 32 passing through the insertion hole 35 is fastened, a portion of the arc surface 37 extending between the plate surfaces of the two restricting protrusions 39 may be sandwiched and pressed radially by the cable tie 32 and one of the large-diameter portions 23 a of the corrugated tube 23.

[0055] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Wire harness 11 Inverter 12 High-voltage battery 13 Underfloor panel (fixed object) 14 Stud bolt 15 Shaft portion 20 Electric wire member 21 Electric wire 22 Braided wire 23 Corrugated tube 23a Large diameter portion 23b Small diameter portion 24 Core wire 25 Insulating coating 30 Electric wire fixing member 31 Fixing member 32 Cable tie 32a Belt-shaped portion 32b Locking portion 33 Fixing portion 33a Insertion portion 33b Engagement claw 34 Contact portion 35 Insertion hole 36 Bulging portion 37 Arc surface 38 Opening 39 Restricting protrusion V Vehicle

Claims

1. An electric wire fixing member comprising: a fixing member having a fixing portion that can be fixed to a fixing object; and a cable tie that is a separate part from the fixing member, wherein the fixing member has a contact portion that can come into contact with a part of the outer surface of an electric wire member, and an insertion hole through which the cable tie can be inserted so that the electric wire member can be fixed to the contact portion by the cable tie.

2. The electric wire fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the electric wire member has a circular outer periphery, and the contact portion has an arcuate surface that can come into surface contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire member.

3. The electric wire fixing member according to claim 2, wherein the arcuate surface is formed so as to be able to come into contact with an area of ​​at least one-fourth of the outer periphery of the electric wire member.

4. The electric wire fixing member according to claim 2, wherein an opening communicating with the insertion hole is provided in a middle portion of the arcuate surface along the extending direction of the electric wire member.

5. The electric wire fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion and the insertion hole are provided as a pair, with the fixing portion as the center of symmetry.

6. The electric wire fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the electric wire member has a corrugated tube in which large diameter sections and small diameter sections are alternately connected along the extension direction, and the fixing member has a restricting protrusion that restricts movement of the corrugated tube along the extension direction by getting into between two adjacent large diameter sections.

7. A wire harness comprising: the electric wire fixing member according to claim 1; and the electric wire member.

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