Protector, and wire harness

Abstract

A protector (30) fixed to a vehicle body (60) has a protector body (40) that supports a portion of at least one electric wire (20) in the length direction to protect the electric wire (20). The protector body (40) has: a first protector body (41) and a second protector body (42) that are disposed along the length direction of the electric wire (20); and a connection structure (50) for connecting the first protector body (41) and the second protector body (42). The connection structure (50) includes: an overlapping portion (51) in which the first protector body (41) and the second protector body (42) overlap each other; and a binding member (52) for binding and connecting the first protector body and the second protector body in the overlapping portion (51). The overall length of the protector (30) can be varied by changing the degree of overlap in the overlapping portion (51).

Description

Protector and wire harness

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

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a wire harness mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile is known that includes electric wires and a protector that protects the electric wires.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-049458

[0004] A protector for protecting the above-described wire harness may be required to have versatility so that it can be used for a plurality of types of wire harnesses having different lengths of electric wires that need to be protected. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a protector and a wire harness that can have improved versatility.

[0005] The protector disclosed herein is a protector that is fixed to a vehicle body and has a protector body that protects at least one electric wire by supporting a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction, wherein the protector body comprises a first protector body and a second protector body that are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and further has a connecting structure that connects the first protector body and the second protector body, wherein the connecting structure includes an overlapping portion where the first protector body and the second protector body overlap each other, and a connecting binding member that binds the first protector body and the second protector body at the overlapping portion, and the connecting structure is configured so that the overall length of the protector body can be set to multiple overall lengths by changing the degree of overlap of the overlapping portion.

[0006] The protector and wire harness of the present disclosure have the effect of improving versatility.

[0007] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a protector main body. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a protector main body. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a wire harness. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness of a modified example. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a wire harness.

[0008] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. [1] A protector according to the present disclosure is a protector fixed to a vehicle body, the protector body including a protector that protects at least one electric wire by supporting a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction, the protector body including a first protector body and a second protector body that are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and further including a connecting structure that connects the first protector body and the second protector body, the connecting structure including an overlapping portion where the first protector body and the second protector body overlap each other, and a connecting binding member that binds the first protector body and the second protector body at the overlapping portion, the connecting structure being configured such that the overall length of the protector body can be set to a plurality of overall lengths by changing the degree of overlap of the overlapping portion.

[0009] According to this configuration, the protector has the above-described connecting structure that connects the first protector body and the second protector body, so that, for example, the overall length of the protector body can be set according to the length of the electric wire that needs to be protected. This improves the versatility of the protector. This, for example, can reduce the cost of the molding die for forming the protector body and the man-hours required for designing the protector body.

[0010] [2] In the above [1], the overlapping portion may have a first through hole penetrating the first protector body and a second through hole positioned overlapping the first through hole and penetrating the second protector body, and the connecting binding member may be inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole when they are overlapped with each other.

[0011] According to this configuration, the relative positions of the first protector body and the second protector body can be determined by overlapping the first through hole of the first protector body with the second through hole of the second protector body. Furthermore, the first protector body and the second protector body can be connected with the connecting binding member inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole. This, for example, can prevent misalignment of the connecting binding member with respect to the protector bodies. Therefore, because misalignment of the relative positions of the first protector body and the second protector body can be prevented, for example, the shape stability of the protector bodies can be improved.

[0012] [3] In the above [2], the first through hole and the second through hole may have a first set in which the total length of the protector body when overlapped with each other is a first total length, and a second set in which the total length of the protector body when overlapped with each other is a second total length that is shorter than the first total length.

[0013] According to this configuration, by overlapping the first and second through holes of the first set with each other, the overall length of the protector body can be easily set to the first overall length. Also, by overlapping the first and second through holes of the second set with each other, the overall length of the protector body can be easily set to the second overall length. Therefore, the protector body can be easily set to the predetermined first overall length or the predetermined second overall length.

[0014] [4] In the above [2] or [3], the first through hole may include a pair of first through holes spaced apart from each other along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and the second through hole may include a pair of second through holes spaced apart from each other along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and the connecting binding member may be inserted through the pair of first through holes and the pair of second through holes that are stacked on top of each other.

[0015] According to this configuration, the first protector body and the second protector body can be connected with the connecting binding member inserted through the pair of first through holes and the pair of second through holes. This makes it possible, for example, to further reduce misalignment of the connecting binding member with respect to the protector bodies. Therefore, since it is possible to further reduce misalignment of the relative positions of the first protector body and the second protector body, it is possible to further improve the shape stability of the protector bodies.

[0016] [5] In any one of the above [1] to [4], the first protector body includes a first support portion that supports a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction and a pair of first side wall portions provided on the first support portion, the second protector body includes a second support portion that supports a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction and a pair of second side wall portions provided on the second support portion, the overlapping portion is configured so that the inner surfaces of the pair of second side wall portions overlap the outer surfaces of the pair of first side wall portions, and a portion of the electric wire may be arranged between the pair of first side wall portions in the overlapping portion.

[0017] With this configuration, the relative lateral movement between the first protector body and the second protector body is restricted by the abutment between the side walls of the first protector body and the second protector body, thereby improving the shape retention of the protector bodies.

[0018] [6] In any one of the above [1] to [5], the connecting binding member may have a fixing portion that is fixed to the vehicle body. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the protector and simplify the structure of the protector body.

[0019] [7] In any one of [1] to [6] above, the connecting structure may be configured to have an electric wire placement portion for placing the electric wire between the connecting binding member and the protector main body. With this configuration, the electric wire can be held in the protector main body by using the connecting binding member. This makes it possible to omit or reduce the number of holding members that hold the electric wire in the protector main body. This makes it possible to simplify the holding structure that holds the electric wire in the protector.

[0020] [8] In any one of the above [1] to [7], at least one of the first protector body and the second protector body may have a bent portion that supports a curved portion of the electric wire. With this configuration, the curved portion of the electric wire can be suitably protected.

[0021] [9] A wire harness according to the present disclosure includes the protector according to any one of [1] to [8] above and the electric wire. This configuration makes it possible to provide a wire harness including a protector with improved versatility. As described above, for example, it is possible to reduce the cost of a molding die for molding the protector body and reduce the number of steps required for designing the protector body, thereby improving the productivity of the wire harness.

[0022] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the protector and wire harness 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, terms such as "first" and "second" in this specification are used simply to distinguish between objects and are not used to rank the objects.

[0023] Each drawing shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are orthogonal to one another. The X-axis of each drawing is along the length direction of the electric wire. The Y-axis and Z-axis of each drawing are along orthogonal directions that are orthogonal to the length direction of the electric wire.

[0024] An embodiment of a protector and a wire harness will be described below. (Overall Configuration of Wire Harness 10) As shown in Fig. 1, the wire harness 10 includes at least one electric wire 20 and a protector 30 that protects the electric wire 20. The wire harness 10 is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The wire harness 10 electrically connects two or more on-board devices.

[0025] (Configuration of the electric wire 20) The electric wire 20 is, for example, an insulated electric wire having a conductive core wire and an insulating coating that surrounds the outer periphery of the core wire and has insulating properties. In Fig. 1, a center line CL of the electric wire 20 is illustrated by a dashed dotted line. The center line CL is a line that passes through the center of the cross section of the electric wire 20.

[0026] Examples of the core wire include a twisted wire made by twisting together multiple metal wires, and a single-core wire made of a single conductor. Examples of the single-core wire include a columnar conductor made of a single columnar metal rod with a solid interior, and a tubular conductor with a hollow interior. The core wire may be a combination of multiple types of core wires, such as twisted wires and single-core wires. Examples of the material for the core wire include copper-based and aluminum-based metal materials.

[0027] The insulating coating, for example, covers the outer periphery of the core wire over the entire circumference around the center line CL of the electric wire 20. The insulating coating can be made of, for example, an insulating resin material. The electric wire 20 may be a shielded electric wire. A shielded electric wire has a core wire, an insulating coating, an electromagnetic shielding member that surrounds the outer periphery of the insulating coating and is conductive, and a sheath that surrounds the outer periphery of the electromagnetic shielding member and is insulating. For example, a connector (not shown) is provided at the end of the electric wire 20. The connector is electrically connected to, for example, a mating connector of an in-vehicle device.

[0028] (Overall configuration of protector 30) As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the protector 30 fixed to the vehicle body 60 has a protector body 40 that protects at least one electric wire 20 by supporting a portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction.

[0029] The protector body 40 includes a first protector body 41 and a second protector body 42 arranged along the X-axis. The protector 30 has a connecting structure 50 that connects the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42.

[0030] (Configuration of first protector body 41 and second protector body 42) The first protector body 41 includes a first support portion 41A that supports a portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of first side wall portions 41B provided on the first support portion 41A. The first support portion 41A supports a linear portion of the electric wire 20. The first support portion 41A has a plate-like shape extending along the XY plane, for example. The pair of first side wall portions 41B are arranged to face each other along the Y axis. Each of the pair of first side wall portions 41B has a plate-like shape extending along the ZX plane, for example.

[0031] The second protector body 42 includes a second support portion 42A that supports a portion of the electric wire 20, and a pair of second side wall portions 42B provided on the second support portion 42A. The second support portion 42A supports a linear portion of the electric wire 20. The second support portion 42A has a plate-like shape extending along the XY plane, for example. The pair of second side wall portions 42B are arranged to face each other along the Y axis. Each of the pair of second side wall portions 42B has a plate-like shape extending along the ZX plane, for example.

[0032] The first protector body 41 has a first through hole H1 penetrating the first support portion 41A of the first protector body 41. The first through holes H1 include a pair of first through holes H1 spaced apart from each other along a direction intersecting the X-axis in the first protector body 41. The pair of first through holes H1 are spaced apart from each other, for example, along the Y-axis. The pair of first through holes H1 constitute a reference positioning portion PB for positioning the first protector body 41 relative to the second protector body 42.

[0033] The second protector body 42 has second through holes H2 that penetrate the second support portion 42A of the second protector body 42. The second through holes H2 include a pair of second through holes H2 that are spaced apart from each other along a direction intersecting the X-axis in the second protector body 42. The pair of second through holes H2 are spaced apart from each other, for example, along the Y-axis. The pair of second through holes H2 constitute a first positioning portion P1 for determining the relative position with respect to the first protector body 41.

[0034] The second protector body 42 has a second positioning portion P2 that is formed by a pair of second through holes H2, similar to the first positioning portion P1. The second positioning portion P2 is located closer to the center than the first positioning portion P1 between both ends of the second protector body 42 along the X axis.

[0035] 2 and 3, the first through-hole H1 of the reference positioning portion PB and the second through-hole H2 of the first positioning portion P1 can be arranged to overlap with each other. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first through-hole H1 of the reference positioning portion PB and the second through-hole H2 of the second positioning portion P2 can be arranged to overlap with each other.

[0036] The protector body 40 can be made of, for example, a resin material, such as polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyester, or ABS resin.

[0037] 1 to 5 , the connecting structure 50 includes an overlapping portion 51 where the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 overlap each other, and a connecting binding member 52 that binds the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 together at the overlapping portion 51. The first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 are arranged to overlap each other along the Z axis.

[0038] The degree of overlap of the overlapping portion 51 can be changed by moving the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 relative to each other along the X-axis. That is, the protector body 40 is configured so that the overall length of the protector body 40 can be set to different lengths by changing the degree of overlap (e.g., overlap length) of the overlapping portion 51. The overall length of the protector body 40 is the length between both ends of the protector body 40 along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 20.

[0039] The overlapping portion 51 of the present embodiment is configured so that the inner surfaces of the pair of second side walls 42B overlap the outer surfaces of the pair of first side walls 41B. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 , a part of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction is configured to be disposed between the pair of first side walls 41B in the overlapping portion 51.

[0040] 3 and 5, the overlapping portion 51 has the first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2 arranged at a position overlapping the first through hole H1. The connecting binding member 52 is inserted through the first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2, which are overlapped with each other.

[0041] In the overlapping portion 51 of this embodiment, the pair of first through holes H1 and the pair of second through holes H2 are overlapped. That is, the overlapping portion 51 has two communication holes that connect the first through holes H1 and the second through holes H2. The connecting binding member 52 is inserted through the two communication holes. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the first through holes H1 and the second through holes H2 have first and second sets of different combinations. As shown in FIG. 3, the first set is composed of the first through hole H1 of the reference positioning portion PB and the second through hole H2 of the first positioning portion P1. The first set sets the overall length of the protector main body 40 to a first overall length L1. FIGS. 6 and 7 show the wire harness 10 when the overall length of the protector main body 40 is set to the first overall length L1 using the first set.

[0042] 5, the second set is constituted by the first through-hole H1 of the reference positioning portion PB and the second through-hole H2 of the second positioning portion P2. In the second set, the overall length of the protector body 40 is set to a second overall length L2 that is shorter than the first overall length L1.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the connecting binding member 52 has a base 52A, a band-shaped portion 52B connected to the base 52A, and a fixing portion 52C that fixes the base 52A to the vehicle body 60. The band-shaped portion 52B is configured to be deformable into a curved shape. The base 52A has a connection portion to which the base end of the band-shaped portion 52B is connected and a retaining hole that prevents the band-shaped portion 52B from slipping out. The band-shaped portion 52B is inserted into the retaining hole of the base 52A from the tip side, thereby preventing the band-shaped portion 52B from slipping out. The band-shaped portion 52B is inserted into two communication holes that communicate with the first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2 at the overlapping portion 51.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7 , the connecting structure 50 in the protector 30 is configured to have an electric wire placement portion 53 that places the electric wire 20 between the connecting binding member 52 and the protector body 40. The electric wire placement portion 53 is provided between the band-shaped portion 52B of the connecting binding member 52 and the overlapping portion 51. The electric wire placement portion 53 holds a portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction in the protector body 40. For example, the electric wire placement portion 53 restricts movement of a portion of the electric wire 20 relative to the protector body 40. The configuration of the electric wire placement portion 53 is not limited to a configuration that fastens the electric wire 20 so as to immobilize it relative to the protector body 40. The configuration of the electric wire placement portion 53 may be, for example, a configuration that allows movement of the electric wire 20 along the X-axis relative to the protector body 40 and restricts movement of the electric wire 20 away from the protector body 40 in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis.

[0045] The fixing portion 52C of the connecting binding member 52 is connected to the base portion 52A. The fixing portion 52C has, for example, an engaging structure that engages with a through-hole in a panel of the vehicle body 60. The connecting binding member 52 can be made of, for example, a resin material. Examples of resin materials include polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polyester, and ABS resin. The connecting binding member 52 may be made of a metal material, or a combination of a resin material and a metal material.

[0046] (Method of Manufacturing Wire Harness 10 and Function of Protector 30) An example of a method of manufacturing the wire harness 10 and a main function of the protector 30 will be described. The method of manufacturing the wire harness 10 includes an assembly process for assembling the protector 30. In the assembly process, a portion of the first protector body 41 and a portion of the second protector body 42 are arranged to overlap each other. At this time, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 are arranged so that the reference positioning portion PB of the first protector body 41 and the first positioning portion P1 of the second protector body 42 are aligned. This makes it possible to easily position the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 relative to each other so that the protector body 40 has a first overall length L1. 4 and 5, the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 are arranged so that the reference positioning portion PB of the first protector body 41 and the second positioning portion P2 of the second protector body 42 are aligned. This makes it possible to easily position the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 relative to each other to form a protector body 40 with a second total length L2.

[0047] Next, in the assembly process, the overlapping portions 51 of the protector body 40 are bound together with the connecting binding members 52 to obtain the protector 30. More specifically, the band-shaped portions 52B of the connecting binding members 52 are inserted through the second through-hole H2, the first through-hole H1, the first through-hole H1, and the second through-hole H2 in that order, and then inserted into the retaining hole of the base 52A. At this time, the connecting structure 50 can be configured to have an electric wire placement portion 53 between the connecting binding members 52 and the protector body 40. With this configuration, by placing the electric wires 20 in the electric wire placement portion 53, the connecting binding members 52 can be used to restrict movement of the electric wires 20 relative to the protector body 40.

[0048] The protector 30 of the obtained wire harness 10 can be fixed to the vehicle body 60 by utilizing the fixing portion 52C of the connecting binding member 52. The wire harness 10 may include a plurality of the protectors 30, or may include a protector other than the protector 30. The electric wires 20 of the wire harness 10 can also be fixed to the vehicle body 60 by using an electric wire holder such as a clip band.

[0049] (Operations and Effects of the Present Embodiment) The operations and effects of the present embodiment will be described. (1) The protector 30 fixed to the vehicle body 60 has a protector body 40 that protects at least one electric wire 20 by supporting a portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction. The protector body 40 includes a first protector body 41 and a second protector body 42 that are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 20. The protector 30 has a connecting structure 50 that connects the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42. The connecting structure 50 includes an overlapping portion 51 where the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 overlap each other, and a connecting binding member 52 that binds the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 at the overlapping portion 51. The protector 30 is configured so that the overall length of the protector body 40 can be set to a plurality of overall lengths by changing the degree of overlap of the overlapping portion 51.

[0050] According to this configuration, the protector 30 has the above-described connecting structure 50 that connects the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42, so that it is possible to set the overall length of the protector body 40 according to the length of the electric wire 20 that needs to be protected, for example. Therefore, the versatility of the protector 30 can be improved.

[0051] (2) The overlapping portion 51 of the connecting structure 50 has a first through-hole H1 that penetrates the first protector body 41 and a second through-hole H2 that is positioned so as to overlap the first through-hole H1 and penetrates the second protector body 42. The connecting binding member 52 is inserted through the first through-hole H1 and the second through-hole H2 that are overlapped with each other.

[0052] In this case, the relative positions of the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 can be determined by overlapping the first through-hole H1 of the first protector body 41 with the second through-hole H2 of the second protector body 42. Furthermore, the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 can be connected with the connecting binding member 52 inserted through the first through-hole H1 and the second through-hole H2. This makes it possible to suppress, for example, misalignment of the connecting binding member 52 with respect to the protector body 40. Therefore, because it is possible to suppress misalignment of the relative positions of the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42, it is possible to improve, for example, the shape stability of the protector body 40.

[0053] (3) The first through holes H1 of the first protector body 41 and the second through holes H2 of the second protector body 42 have a first set and a second set. When the first through holes H1 and the second through holes H2 of the first set are overlapped with each other, the total length of the protector body 40 is a first total length L1. When the first through holes H1 and the second through holes H2 of the second set are overlapped with each other, the total length of the protector body 40 is a second total length L2 that is shorter than the first total length L1.

[0054] In this case, by overlapping the first through-hole H1 and the second through-hole H2 of the first set with each other, the overall length of the protector body 40 can be easily set to the first overall length L1. Also, by overlapping the first through-hole H1 and the second through-hole H2 of the second set with each other, the overall length of the protector body 40 can be easily set to the second overall length L2. Therefore, the protector body 40 can be easily set to the predetermined first overall length L1 or the predetermined second overall length L2.

[0055] (4) The first through hole H1 of the first protector body 41 includes a pair of first through holes H1 spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 20. The second through hole H2 of the second protector body 42 includes a pair of second through holes H2 spaced apart from each other in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 20. The connecting binding member 52 is inserted through the pair of first through holes H1 and the pair of second through holes H2 that are overlapped with each other.

[0056] In this case, the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 can be connected with the connecting binding member 52 inserted through the pair of first through holes H1 and the pair of second through holes H2. This makes it possible, for example, to further reduce misalignment of the connecting binding member 52 with respect to the protector body 40. Therefore, since it is possible to further reduce misalignment of the relative positions of the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42, it is possible to further improve the shape stability of the protector body 40, for example.

[0057] (5) The first protector body 41 includes a first support portion 41A that supports a portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction and a pair of first side wall portions 41B provided on the first support portion 41A. The second protector body 42 includes a second support portion 42A that supports a portion of the electric wire 20 in the longitudinal direction and a pair of second side wall portions 42B provided on the second support portion 42A. The overlapping portion 51 is configured so that the inner surfaces of the pair of second side wall portions 42B overlap the outer surfaces of the pair of first side wall portions 41B. A portion of the electric wire 20 is disposed between the pair of first side wall portions 41B of the overlapping portion 51.

[0058] In this case, the relative lateral movement between the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 is restricted by the abutment between the side walls of the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42. This makes it possible to improve the shape retention of the protector body 40.

[0059] (6) The connecting binding member 52 has a fixing portion 52C that is fixed to the vehicle body 60. In this case, for example, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the protector 30 and simplify the structure of the protector body 40.

[0060] (7) The connecting structure 50 of the protector 30 is configured to have an electric wire placement portion 53 for placing the electric wire 20 between the connecting binding member 52 and the protector body 40. In this case, the electric wire 20 can be held in the protector body 40 by utilizing the connecting binding member 52. This makes it possible to omit a holding member for holding the electric wire 20 in the protector body 40 or to reduce the number of holding members. This makes it possible to simplify the holding structure for holding the electric wire 20 in the protector 30.

[0061] (8) The first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 are configured to support the straight portion of the electric wire 20. That is, the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 are configured with straight portions that support the straight portion of the electric wire 20. In this case, the straight portion of the electric wire 20 can be suitably protected.

[0062] (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.

[0063] The shape of at least one of the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 can be modified. For example, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the first protector body 41 can be modified to have a bent portion B1 that supports a curved portion of the electric wire 20. The first protector body 41 of this modified example has a straight portion S1 that supports a straight portion of the electric wire 20 in addition to the bent portion B1. More specifically, the portion that forms the overlapping portion 51 with the second protector body 42 is composed of the straight portion S1. The first protector body 41 may have bent portions B1 at multiple locations.

[0064] Although not shown, the second protector body 42 may also be modified to have a bent portion B1 that supports the curved portion of the electric wire 20. That is, for example, a first protector body 41 having a bent portion B1 may be combined with a second protector body 42 consisting only of a straight portion S1. Alternatively, for example, a first protector body 41 consisting only of a straight portion S1 may be combined with a second protector body 42 having a bent portion B1. Alternatively, for example, a first protector body 41 having a bent portion B1 may be combined with a second protector body 42 having a bent portion B1. In this case, the overlapping portion 51 may be formed by overlapping the bent portion B1 of the first protector body 41 with the bent portion B1 of the second protector body 42.

[0065] As described above, at least one of the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 has a bent portion B1 that supports the curved portion of the electric wire 20, thereby enabling the curved portion of the electric wire 20 to be suitably protected.

[0066] The protector body 40 may include a third protector body in addition to the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42. The third protector body may be connected to the first protector body 41 or the second protector body 42. The connecting structure between the third protector body and the first protector body 41 and the connecting structure between the second protector body 42 and the third protector body may employ the connecting structure 50 described above, or a connecting structure other than the connecting structure 50 described above. Furthermore, the protector 30 may be configured to connect four or more protector bodies.

[0067] The overall length of the first protector body 41 and the overall length of the second protector body 42 may be the same or different. The connecting structure 50 is configured to have the electric wire placement portion 53 between the connecting binding member 52 and the protector body 40, but this electric wire placement portion 53 may be omitted. In other words, without using the connecting binding member 52, the electric wires 20 may be held in the protector body 40 using, for example, a separately prepared electric wire binding member.

[0068] Although the connecting binding member 52 has a fixing portion 52C that is fixed to the vehicle body 60, this fixing portion 52C may be omitted. For example, the fixing portion 52C that is fixed to the vehicle body 60 may be provided on the protector body 40. Also, a binding member having a fixing portion 52C that is fixed to the vehicle body 60 may be prepared separately, and the protector body 40 may be fixed to the vehicle body 60 using this binding member.

[0069] The connecting binding member 52 is not limited to the configuration including the base portion 52A, the band-shaped portion 52B, etc. The connecting binding member 52 may be, for example, a plastically deformable wire such as a wire, an adhesive tape, etc.

[0070] The first protector body 41 has a pair of first side walls 41B, but at least one of the pair of first side walls 41B may be omitted. The second protector body 42 has a pair of second side walls 42B, but at least one of the pair of second side walls 42B may be omitted.

[0071] Of the pair of first side wall portions 41B of the first protector body 41, at least one of the first side wall portions 41B may be divided into multiple portions along the length direction of the electric wire 20. Of the pair of second side wall portions 42B of the second protector body 42, at least one of the second side wall portions 42B may be divided into multiple portions along the length direction of the electric wire 20.

[0072] The first through-hole H1 of the first protector body 41 and the second through-hole H2 of the second protector body 42 may be omitted. In this case, the first protector body 41 and the second protector body 42 can be connected by binding the overlapping portion 51 from the outer periphery using the binding member 52 for connection.

[0073] The first through holes H1 and the second through holes H2 have a first set that makes the protector body 40 have a first overall length L1 and a second set that makes the protector body 40 have a second overall length L2, but either the first set or the second set may be omitted. For example, the second set may be omitted, and the overlapping portion 51 may be bound from the outer periphery with the connecting binding member 52 to set the second overall length L2.

[0074] The number of each of the first through holes H1 and second through holes H2 in the first set is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. The number of each of the first through holes H1 and second through holes H2 in the second set is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

[0075] The first through hole H1 and the second through hole H2 may have three or more pairs, so that the overall length of the protector body 40 is a third overall length, which is shorter than the second overall length L2. The connecting structure 50 may include two or more connecting binding members 52.

[0076] The protector 30 may be configured to support and protect more than one wire 20. The first protector body 41 of the illustrated non-limiting embodiment may be referred to as a first or narrow trough or tray, and the second protector body 42 may be referred to as a second or wide trough or tray.

[0077] In the illustrated non-limiting embodiment, the first support portion 41A of the first protector body 41 and the first support portion 42A of the second protector body 42 may be referred to as bottom plates having a length and a width. Each of the first side wall portions 41B of the first protector body 41 and each of the second side wall portions 42B of the second protector body 42 may be referred to as a vertical plate defining a depth or having a height. As shown in FIG. 1 , the first through holes H1 of the first protector body 41 may be referred to as a subset of one or more first through holes H1 provided at a predetermined reference position (the position indicated by reference symbol PB in FIG. 1 ) in the length direction of the first protector body 41. The subset of one or more first through holes H1 may include at least two first through holes H1 provided at the reference position and spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the first protector body 41. The second through holes H2 of the second protector body 42 may include a subset of one or more second through holes H2 provided at a first length position (position indicated by reference symbol P1 in FIG. 1 ) in the length direction of the second protector body 41, and a subset of one or more second through holes H2 provided at a second length position (position indicated by reference symbol P2 in FIG. 1 ) that is spaced a distance from the first length position in the length direction of the second protector body 41. The space between the first length position and the second length position may be referred to as a pitch length when extending or shortening the overall length of the protector 30 or the protector body 40. The total number of second through holes H2 at the first length position (position indicated by reference symbol P1 in FIG. 1 ) in the second protector body 42 and the total number of second through holes H2 at the second length position (position indicated by reference symbol P2 in FIG. 1 ) in the second protector body 42 may both be the same as the total number of first through holes H1 provided at a predetermined reference position (position indicated by reference symbol PB in FIG. 1 ) in the first protector body 41. Each first through hole H1 in the first protector body 41 may have hole dimensions that substantially match the cross section of the belt-shaped portion 52B of the connecting binding member 52, and may be, for example, an elongated hole having a hole width and hole length that respectively match the thickness and width of the belt-shaped portion 52B. The same applies to each second through hole H2 in the second protector body 42.

[0078] In the illustrated embodiment, the protector body 40 including the multiple protector bodies 41, 42 may be referred to as a gutter assembly or a linear tray assembly. The connection mode of the embodiment shown in Figures 2, 3, 6, and 7 may be referred to as a long or stretch connection mode of the multiple protector bodies 41, 42. The connection mode of the embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be referred to as a short or shrink connection mode of the multiple protector bodies 41, 42.

[0079] The embodiments and modified examples disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0080] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Wire harness 20 Electric wire 30 Protector 40 Protector body 41 First protector body 41A First support portion 41B First side wall portion 42 Second protector body 42A Second support portion 42B Second side wall portion 50 Connecting structure 51 Overlapping portion 52 Connecting binding member 52A Base portion 52B Belt-shaped portion 52C Fixing portion 53 Electric wire placement portion 60 Vehicle body B1 Bent portion CL Center line H1 First through hole H2 Second through hole L1 First overall length L2 Second overall length PB Reference positioning portion P1 First positioning portion P2 Second positioning portion S1 Straight portion

Claims

1. A protector fixed to a vehicle body, having a protector body that protects at least one electric wire by supporting a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction, wherein the protector body comprises a first protector body and a second protector body that are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and further having a connecting structure that connects the first protector body and the second protector body, wherein the connecting structure includes an overlapping portion where the first protector body and the second protector body overlap each other, and a connecting binding member that binds the first protector body and the second protector body at the overlapping portion, and wherein the connecting structure is configured so that the overall length of the protector body can be set to a plurality of overall lengths by changing the degree of overlap of the overlapping portion.

2. The protector according to claim 1, wherein the overlapping portion has a first through hole that penetrates the first protector body and a second through hole that is positioned so as to overlap the first through hole and penetrates the second protector body, and the connecting binding member is inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole when they are overlapped with each other.

3. The protector according to claim 2, wherein the first through hole and the second through hole comprise a first set, the first total length of which is the total length of the protector body when they are overlapped with each other, and a second set, the second total length of which is the total length of the protector body when they are overlapped with each other and is shorter than the first total length.

4. A protector as described in claim 2, wherein the first through hole includes a pair of first through holes spaced apart from each other along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, the second through hole includes a pair of second through holes spaced apart from each other along a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and the connecting binding member is inserted through the pair of first through holes and the pair of second through holes which are overlapped with each other.

5. The protector described in claim 1, wherein the first protector body comprises a first support portion that supports a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction and a pair of first side wall portions provided on the first support portion, the second protector body comprises a second support portion that supports a portion of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction and a pair of second side wall portions provided on the second support portion, the overlapping portion is configured so that the inner surfaces of the pair of second side wall portions overlap the outer surfaces of the pair of first side wall portions, and a portion of the electric wire is positioned between the pair of first side wall portions at the overlapping portion.

6. The protector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting binding member has a fixing portion that is fixed to the vehicle body.

7. The protector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting structure is configured to have an electric wire arrangement portion for arranging the electric wire between the connecting binding member and the protector body.

8. The protector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first protector body and the second protector body has a bent portion that supports a curved portion of the electric wire.

9. A wire harness comprising the protector according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and the electric wire.

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