Harness assembly and in-vehicle power conversion device

Abstract

A harness assembly (6, 6A to 6D) comprises: a connector (10), which is attached to an enclosure cover (8) formed by the unification of an enclosure top face (8a) and an enclosure lateral face (8b) of an in-vehicle power conversion device (1), and which is connected to equipment external to the in-vehicle power conversion device; a plurality of wires (12) individually covered by a sheath material and having the connector attached at one end; a flexible protective tube (13, 13A) covering the plurality of wires; and two retaining members (14), less flexible than the protective tube, provided around the outer surface of the protective tube on both axial sides of a section (B) where the plurality of wires are to be bent.

Description

Harness assemblies and on-board power conversion devices

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a harness assembly and an on-vehicle power conversion device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a harness assembly used in an on-board power conversion device. A connector for communication with an external device is provided in the housing of the on-board power conversion device, and this connector is electrically connected to a device such as a board installed in the housing via the harness assembly. Connecting the connector of the external device to the connector of the housing of the on-board power conversion device enables communication between the external device and the on-board power conversion device.

[0003] The harness assembly of Patent Document 1 has an exposed portion in the center in the longitudinal direction that is not covered by a covering member, and is configured to be bent at this exposed portion. In an on-board power conversion device, when the placement space for the harness assembly is limited due to the miniaturization of the housing, the harness assembly is bent at the exposed portion that is not covered by a covering member, reducing the occupied area and placing it inside the housing.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-48891

[0005] An on-board power conversion device is subjected to engine vibrations and vibrations while the vehicle is running. If the exposed portions of the harness assembly described in Patent Document 1 that are not covered by the covering member move freely due to these vibrations, the exposed portions may come into contact with other components installed inside the housing. Depending on the shape, hardness, surface roughness, etc. of the other components, contact of the exposed portions with the other components may cause the covering of the wires in the harness assembly to peel off, potentially resulting in a short circuit, poor conductivity, or insulation breakdown. In other words, it may be difficult to achieve both flexibility and wear resistance in the harness assembly.

[0006] Furthermore, in order to reduce the number of components in the housing of an on-board power conversion device, a housing cover in which the top and side surfaces of the housing are integrated may be used, and a connector for communication with external devices may be attached to this housing cover. In such cases, when assembling the on-board power conversion device, before closing the housing cover, the harness assembly needs to be long enough to connect the connector on the housing cover to the device inside the housing body to which the housing cover is attached. On the other hand, when the housing cover is closed, the harness assembly needs to be bent and folded so that it can be placed in a desired location within the housing while saving space.

[0007] However, in the process of closing the housing cover, for example, it may be difficult for a worker to directly grasp and fold the harness assembly, making it difficult to arrange the harness assembly in the desired bent shape inside the housing. If the harness assembly cannot be arranged in the desired bent shape and gets pinched between other components, it may cause assembly defects such as damage to the harness assembly or other components, or if part of the harness assembly rides up on an undesired component, excessive stress may be applied to the connector mounted on the control board inside the housing body, and further vibration may cause damage to the connector or the solder that mechanically and electrically joins the connector to the control board may come off, resulting in poor conductivity.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and aims to provide a harness assembly that has improved wear resistance and can be bent at desired locations to be positioned in a space-saving manner, and an on-board power conversion device equipped with the same.

[0009] A harness assembly according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is attached to a housing cover in which the top surface and side surfaces of the housing of an on-vehicle power conversion device are integrated, and includes a connector for connection to an external device of the on-vehicle power conversion device, a plurality of electric wires each covered with a coating material and having the connector attached to one end thereof, a flexible protective tube that covers the plurality of electric wires, and two retaining members that are less flexible than the protective tube and are provided on both axial sides of the bent portion of the plurality of electric wires and surrounding the outer surface of the protective tube.

[0010] An on-vehicle power conversion device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes the harness assembly of the first aspect.

[0011] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, by integrating the top and side surfaces of the housing, the number of housing parts is reduced by one, and fastening members for fastening the two together and sealing materials for ensuring airtightness between the two surfaces are not required. Furthermore, the assembly time of the housing is shortened, thereby reducing costs. The protective tube encases the multiple electric wires in the harness assembly, improving the abrasion resistance of the electric wires. Furthermore, when closing the housing cover of the onboard power conversion device, as the ends of the harness assembly approach each other, a bending force acts on the multiple electric wires. At this time, the two retaining members have lower flexibility than the protective tube encasing the multiple electric wires. Therefore, the bending portion located between the two retaining members bends, while the bending of the portion where the retaining members are provided is suppressed. Therefore, by attaching the two retaining members to appropriate positions on the harness assembly, the harness assembly can be deformed into a desired bent shape simply by closing the housing cover, allowing it to be placed in a space-saving desired location. This prevents assembly defects such as the harness assembly being pinched by other components and damaging the harness assembly or other components, or prevents a situation in which part of the harness assembly rides up on an unwanted component, causing excessive stress to be applied to the connector mounted on the control board inside the housing body, which in turn causes vibrations that can damage the connector or cause the solder that mechanically and electrically joins the connector to the control board to come off, resulting in poor conductivity.As a result, it is possible to achieve both cost reductions for on-board power conversion devices and ease of wiring of the harness assembly.

[0012] 12 is a cross-sectional view of an on-vehicle power conversion device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a harness assembly according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an on-vehicle power conversion device according to the first embodiment during assembly. FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing a bent harness assembly according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a harness assembly according to a second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing a state in which a protective tube and a holding member are removed from the harness assembly shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing a bent harness assembly according to the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a protective tube according to the third embodiment. FIG. 19 is a schematic view of a harness assembly according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a state in which a protective tube, a holding member, and a tube holding member are removed from the harness assembly shown in FIG. 12.

[0013] Hereinafter, a harness assembly and an on-vehicle power conversion device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an on-board power conversion device 1 in a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the on-board power conversion device 1 of this embodiment is a power conversion device provided in a vehicle (not shown), and includes a housing 2, a power module 3 that converts electric power, a control board 4 for controlling the power module 3, a heat sink assembly 5 that dissipates heat from the power module 3, and a harness assembly 6 provided between the housing 2 and the control board 4. The power module 3, the control board 4, the heat sink assembly 5, and the harness assembly 6 are disposed within the housing 2.

[0015] The housing 2 includes a box-shaped housing body 7 having an opening, and a housing cover 8 attached to close the opening of the housing body 7. The heat sink assembly 5 is attached to the housing body 7, and the power module 3 and the control board 4 are assembled to the heat sink assembly 5. In the following description, the side on which the housing body 7 is provided may be referred to as the lower side, and the side on which the housing cover 8 is provided may be referred to as the upper side. When installed in a vehicle, the on-board power conversion device 1 may be installed in any orientation.

[0016] The housing cover 8 is integrally formed with a housing top surface 8a constituting the top surface of the housing 2 and a housing side surface 8b constituting a portion of the side surface of the housing 2. By integrating the housing top surface 8a and the housing side surface 8b, the number of components of the housing 2 is reduced by one, fastening members for fastening the two together and sealing materials for ensuring airtightness between the two are not required, and the assembly time of the housing 2 is shortened, thereby reducing costs. A terminal block 9 is provided on the housing top surface 8a so as to face its underside, and a terminal block 5a is provided on the heat sink assembly 5. By integrating the housing top surface 8a and the housing side surface 8b, the assembly accuracy of the terminal blocks 9 and 5a is improved. Furthermore, when the power module 3 and the control board 4 assembled to the heat sink assembly 5 are soldered by partial jet flow, the housing side surface 8b is prevented from interfering with the liquid surface of the jet solder layer, compared to when the heat sink assembly 5 and the housing side surface 8b are integrally formed. This also improves assembly efficiency.

[0017] A first connector (connector) 10 is provided at one end of the harness assembly 6, and a second connector 11 is provided at the other end. The first connector 10 is a device used for communication between the on-board power conversion device 1 and an external device (not shown), and is attached to the housing side surface 8b. The second connector 11 is mounted on the control board 4. Connecting a connector of the external device to the first connector 10 enables communication between the external device and the control board 4 of the on-board power conversion device 1 via the harness assembly 6. The first connector 10 may be configured to be detachable from the housing side surface 8b. The second connector 11 may be configured to be detachable from the control board 4.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a harness assembly 6 in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the harness assembly 6 includes a first connector 10, a second connector 11, a plurality of electric wires 12, each having the first connector 10 attached to one end and the second connector 11 attached to the other end, a protective tube 13 that covers the plurality of electric wires 12, and two holding members 14 provided on the outer surface of the protective tube 13. In the following description, the direction in which a central axis (not shown) of a bundle of the plurality of electric wires 12 extends may be referred to as the axial direction (i.e., the length direction), the direction around the central axis may be referred to as the circumferential direction, and the direction intersecting the central axis as viewed from the axial direction may be referred to as the radial direction.

[0019] The multiple electric wires 12 are each covered with a coating made of an insulating material. The electric wires 12 are formed, for example, from copper, aluminum, or an alloy thereof. The electric wires 12 may be solid wires or stranded wires. The multiple electric wires 12 are configured to be bendable. Talc is applied to the surface of each coating material to improve the relative sliding (e.g., axial sliding) of the multiple electric wires 12. However, talc is not an essential component, and it does not have to be applied to the surface of the coating material.

[0020] The first connector 10 has a plurality of pins or sockets (not shown), to which a plurality of electric wires 12 are respectively connected. The second connector 11 is configured to connect the plurality of electric wires 12 to a plurality of wiring patterns (not shown) formed on the control board 4. When the second connector 11 is detachable from the control board 4, the plurality of electric wires 12 may be connected to a plurality of pins or sockets (not shown) provided on the second connector 11, respectively.

[0021] The protective tube 13 is formed into a cylindrical shape using a flexible material. The protective tube 13 is formed using rubber or resin, for example, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer. The overall axial length of the protective tube 13 is shorter than that of the multiple electric wires 12, and a gap is provided between one end of the protective tube 13 and the first connector 10, and between the other end of the protective tube 13 and the second connector 11. This allows the protective tube 13 to move slightly relative to the multiple electric wires 12 in the axial direction. As described above, talc is applied to the surface of each coating material of the multiple electric wires 12, thereby improving the sliding (e.g., axial sliding) between the multiple electric wires 12 and the protective tube 13.

[0022] The two holding members 14 are provided to surround the outer surface of the protective tube 13 on both axial sides of a bending point B of the plurality of electric wires 12. The bending point B is set at a position excluding both axial ends of the plurality of electric wires 12. The bending point B corresponds to a point where the harness assembly 6 bends when the housing cover 8 is closed, in other words, corresponds to a point where bending is desired in the harness assembly 6. At the bending point B, the plurality of electric wires 12 are covered by the protective tube 13.

[0023] The holding members 14 in this embodiment are disposed away from the axial ends of the protective tube 13, and therefore non-holding regions N are provided between the two holding members 14 and both axial ends of the protective tube 13. However, the non-holding regions N do not have to be provided, and the holding members 14 may cover the axial ends of the protective tube 13.

[0024] The holding member 14 has lower flexibility than the protective tube 13. The holding member 14 in this embodiment is a tape wound circumferentially around the outer surface of the protective tube 13. This tape is formed from a resin such as a polyester film, and is adhered to the outer surface of the protective tube 13 with an adhesive or an adhesive layer. This prevents the holding member 14 from moving relative to the protective tube 13. However, if the relative movement between the holding member 14 and the protective tube 13 is suppressed by adhesion or friction between them, the adhesive or adhesive layer may not be used. The holding member 14 may be wound around the outer surface of the protective tube 13 multiple times, or may be arranged so that parts of the holding member 14 overlap in the circumferential direction.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the in-vehicle power conversion device 1 during assembly. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the bent harness assembly 6. As shown in Fig. 3, in assembling the in-vehicle power conversion device 1, the heat sink assembly 5, the power module 3, and the control board 4 are attached to the housing main body 7, and the terminal block 9 is attached to the housing cover 8. The first connector 10 of the harness assembly 6 is attached to the housing side surface 8b of the housing cover 8, and the second connector 11 is attached to the control board 4, so that the housing cover 8 and the control board 4 of the housing main body 7 are connected by the harness assembly 6. In this state, the housing cover 8 is not attached to the housing main body 7, and therefore the harness assembly 6 has a sufficient length to connect the two.

[0026] After the harness assembly 6 connects the housing cover 8 and the control board 4 of the housing main body 7, the housing cover 8 is attached to close the opening of the housing main body 7. When closing the housing cover 8, the ends of the harness assembly 6, i.e., the first connector 10 and the second connector 11, approach each other, and a bending force acts on the multiple electric wires 12, as shown in FIG. 4 . At this time, because the two holding members 14 have lower flexibility than the protective tube 13 that covers the multiple electric wires 12, bending occurs at the bending point B located between the two holding members 14, while bending at the points where the holding members 14 are provided is suppressed. Therefore, by providing the two holding members 14 at appropriate positions on the harness assembly 6, the harness assembly 6 can be deformed into a desired bent shape simply by closing the housing cover 8, allowing it to be positioned in a space-saving desired location (see FIG. 1 ). Since the harness assembly 6 can be arranged in the desired bent shape within the housing 2, it is possible to prevent assembly defects such as the harness assembly 6 being pinched between other components and damaging the harness assembly 6 or other components, or to prevent a part of the harness assembly 6 from riding up onto an undesired component, causing excessive stress to be applied to the second connector 11 mounted on the control board 4 within the housing body, which could then be subjected to vibration and damage the second connector 11 or the solder that mechanically and electrically joins the second connector 11 to the control board 4 from peeling off, causing poor conductivity.

[0027] In addition to the bent portion B, the harness assembly 6 of this embodiment is provided with a non-holding region N in which the holding member 14 is not disposed in the protective tube 13. Therefore, when the first connector 10 and the second connector 11 of the harness assembly 6 approach each other when the housing cover 8 is closed, the harness assembly 6 can be bent even in the non-holding region N. This allows the harness assembly 6 to be deformed into a more appropriate bent shape.

[0028] As described above, the harness assembly 6 of this embodiment is attached to the housing cover 8, which is formed by integrating the housing top surface 8a and housing side surface 8b of the vehicle-mounted power conversion device 1, and includes a first connector 10 that is connected to external equipment of the vehicle-mounted power conversion device 1, a plurality of electric wires 12 each covered with a coating material and having the first connector 10 attached to one end thereof, a flexible protective tube 13 that covers the plurality of electric wires 12, and two retaining members 14 that are less flexible than the protective tube 13 and are provided on both axial sides of the bending point B of the plurality of electric wires 12, surrounding the outer surface of the protective tube 13.

[0029] This configuration, by integrating the housing top surface 8a and the housing side surface 8b, reduces the number of housing components by one, eliminates the need for fastening members to fasten the two together, and eliminates the need for sealing materials to ensure airtightness between the two. Furthermore, the assembly time for the housing is shortened, thereby reducing costs. The protective tube 13 covers the multiple electric wires 12 in the harness assembly 6, improving the abrasion resistance of the electric wires 12. Furthermore, as described above, simply closing the housing cover 8 allows the harness assembly 6 to be deformed into a desired bent shape and positioned in a space-saving manner. Because the harness assembly 6 can be positioned in a desired bent shape within the housing 2, the harness assembly 6 can be prevented from being pinched by other components or riding on undesired components. These advantages enable both cost reduction for the on-board power conversion device 1 and ease of wiring the harness assembly 6.

[0030] Furthermore, in the harness assembly 6 of this embodiment, talc is applied to the surface of each covering material of the plurality of electric wires 12. With this configuration, even if the relative positions of the plurality of electric wires 12 or the relative positions of the plurality of electric wires 12 and the protective tube 13 change when the harness assembly 6 is bent, the plurality of electric wires 12 can slide relative to each other and relative to the plurality of electric wires 12 and the protective tube 13. This has the effect of making it easy to deform the harness assembly 6 into a desired bent shape.

[0031] The in-vehicle power conversion device 1 of this embodiment also includes a harness assembly 6. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain an in-vehicle power conversion device 1 that can obtain the effects provided by the harness assembly 6 described above.

[0032] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. In the description of this embodiment, reference may be made to the drawings used in the description of the above-described embodiment.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a harness assembly 6A in a second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the protective tube 13 and the holding member 14 are removed from the harness assembly 6A shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the bent harness assembly 6A. The harness assembly 6A of this embodiment is disposed in the on-vehicle power conversion device 1 in place of the harness assembly 6 shown in Fig. 1.

[0034] 5 and 6 , the harness assembly 6A is provided with two fixing members 15 that wind the plurality of electric wires 12 and fix the plurality of electric wires 12. The two fixing members 15 are provided on both axial sides of the two holding members 14. The two fixing members 15 are provided near the first connector 10 and the second connector 11, respectively. The fixing members 15 are provided inside the protective tube 13.

[0035] The fixing member 15 fixes the multiple electric wires 12 to one another, suppressing relative axial movement between the multiple electric wires 12. The fixing member 15 in this embodiment is a tape wound circumferentially around the multiple electric wires 12. This tape is formed from a resin such as a polyester film, and is adhered to the outer surface of the covering material of the multiple electric wires 12 by an adhesive or an adhesive layer. However, if the relative movement between the multiple electric wires 12 is suppressed by adhesion or friction between the multiple electric wires 12, the adhesive or adhesive layer may not be used. The fixing member 15 may be provided by wrapping around the outer surface of the protective tube 13 multiple times, or may be provided so that a portion of the fixing member 15 overlaps with the protective tube 13 in the circumferential direction. As long as the relative movement between the multiple electric wires 12 is suppressed, the flexibility of the fixing member 15 may be the same as, or greater than, the flexibility of the protective tube 13.

[0036] Of the multiple electric wires 12, the electric wire 12a arranged at a position on the outside of the bend at the bent portion B is longer than the electric wire 12b arranged at a position on the inside of the bend. When an imaginary axis VA is set as shown in Figure 7 and the bent portion B of the harness assembly 6A is bent around this imaginary axis VA, the "outside of the bend" refers to the side of the harness assembly 6A farther from the imaginary axis VA, and the "inside of the bend" refers to the side of the harness assembly 6A closer to the imaginary axis VA. In other words, of the two sides of the central axis line (not shown) of the bundle of multiple electric wires 12, the electric wire 12a on one side is longer than the electric wire 12b on the other side.

[0037] As described above, in the harness assembly 6A of this embodiment, of the multiple electric wires 12, the electric wire 12a arranged at the outer side of the bend at the bent portion B is longer than the electric wire 12b arranged at the inner side of the bend, and two fixing members 15 that wind the multiple electric wires 12 and fix the multiple electric wires 12 are provided on both axial sides of the two holding members 14.

[0038] According to this configuration, the provision of two fixing members 15 suppresses relative axial movement between the multiple electric wires 12, and the electric wires 12a positioned on the outside of the bend can be maintained longer than the electric wires 12b positioned on the inside of the bend. Furthermore, when closing the housing cover 8 as shown in FIG. 3, the ends of the harness assembly 6A approach each other, and when the harness assembly 6A is bent around the imaginary axis VA shown in FIG. 7, the length of the arc passing through the outside of the bend and centered on the imaginary axis VA is longer than the length of the arc passing through the inside of the bend and centered on the imaginary axis VA. In this embodiment, the electric wires 12a positioned on the outside of the bend are longer than the electric wires 12b positioned on the inside of the bend, preventing excessive tension in the electric wires 12a and excessive compression in the electric wires 12b during bending. This has the effect of facilitating deformation of the harness assembly 6 into a desired bent shape.

[0039] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted. In the description of this embodiment, reference may be made to the drawings used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0040] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a harness assembly 6B according to the third embodiment. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a protective tube 13A according to the third embodiment. The harness assembly 6B according to this embodiment is disposed in the on-board power conversion device 1 in place of the harness assembly 6 shown in Fig. 1.

[0041] 8 and 9 , the protective tube 13A of this embodiment is configured using a belt-shaped member, and this belt-shaped member is wound circumferentially around the multiple electric wires 12, with at least a portion of the member overlapping the multiple electric wires 12 in the circumferential direction. The circumferential width of the overlapping portion is set to a size that can prevent the multiple electric wires 12 from being exposed even when the protective tube 13A is bent. The material of the protective tube 13A may be the same as that of the protective tube 13. When no external force is applied to the protective tube 13A, the belt-shaped member may be a flat member or a member that maintains a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 9 .

[0042] The harness assembly 6B of this embodiment is provided with two tube holding members 16 that wrap around and hold both axial ends of the protective tube 13A. That is, the two tube holding members 16 are provided on both axial sides of the two holding members 14. The tube holding members 16 may be slightly spaced from the axial ends of the protective tube 13A toward the axial center. Providing the tube holding members 16 can prevent the protective tube 13A from falling off the multiple electric wires 12.

[0043] The tube holding member 16 of this embodiment is a tape wound circumferentially around the outer surface of the protective tube 13A. This tape is formed from a resin such as polyester film and is adhered to the outer surface of the protective tube 13A by an adhesive or an adhesive layer. However, if the protective tube 13A can be held in place by adhesion or friction between the tube holding member 16 and the protective tube 13A, an adhesive or adhesive layer may not be used. The tube holding member 16 may be wound around the outer surface of the protective tube 13A multiple times, or may be arranged so that a portion of the tube holding member 16 overlaps the outer surface of the protective tube 13A in the circumferential direction. The flexibility of the tube holding member 16 may be the same as, or may be greater or less than, the flexibility of the protective tube 13A.

[0044] As described above, in the harness assembly 6B of this embodiment, the protective tube 13A has a configuration in which a band-shaped member is wound circumferentially around a plurality of electric wires 12, at least a portion of which overlaps circumferentially, and two tube holding members 16 are provided to hold both axial ends of the protective tube 13A by wrapping them around them.

[0045] According to this configuration, after the first connector 10, the second connector 11, and the fixing member 15 are attached to the multiple electric wires 12, the protective tube 13A can be attached to the multiple electric wires 12, and the harness assembly 6B can be assembled efficiently.

[0046] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate the same components as those in the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof may be omitted. In the description of this embodiment, reference may be made to the drawings used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0047] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a harness assembly 6C in a fourth embodiment. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the protective tube 13A, the holding member 14, and the tube holding member 16 are removed from the harness assembly 6C shown in Fig. 10. The harness assembly 6C of this embodiment is disposed in the on-vehicle power conversion device 1 in place of the harness assembly 6 shown in Fig. 1.

[0048] The harness assembly 6C of this embodiment is provided with two collars 17. The collars 17 of this embodiment are formed from resin in a cylindrical shape that is continuous around the entire circumferential direction, but may also be formed in a C-shape when viewed from the axial direction. Such a C-shape is also included in the term "cylindrical" for the collars 17. A plurality of electric wires 12 are passed through the inside of the collars 17. The collars 17 are provided inside a cylindrical protective tube 13A.

[0049] The axial positions of the two collars 17 are equivalent to the axial positions of the two holding members 14. That is, the two collars 17 are provided on both axial sides of the bent portion B of the harness assembly 6C. In this embodiment, the two collars 17 are provided axially inside the two fixing members 15. For example, if the holding member 14 is a tape or the like, the holding member 14 can be wound around the protective tube 13A while applying pressure (pulling force) to bring the protective tube 13A into close contact with the collar 17, thereby preventing relative movement among the collar 17, the protective tube 13A, and the holding member 14. However, because the inner diameter of the collar 17 is larger than the outer diameter of the bundle of multiple electric wires 12, the collar 17 can move relative to the multiple electric wires 12. The flexibility of the collar 17 is lower than that of the protective tube 13A.

[0050] As described above, in the harness assembly 6C of this embodiment, the cylindrical collar 17, through which the plurality of electric wires 12 are passed, is provided inside the protective tube 13A, the inner diameter of the collar 17 is larger than the outer diameter of the bundle of the plurality of electric wires 12, the flexibility of the collar 17 is lower than that of the protective tube 13A, and the axial position of the collar 17 is equivalent to the axial position of the holding member 14.

[0051] According to this configuration, the inner diameter of the collar 17 is larger than the outer diameter of the bundle of the plurality of electric wires 12, allowing relative movement between the two, and has the effect of making it easy to deform the harness assembly 6 into a desired bent shape even when the holding member 14 is tightly wound so as to tighten the protective tube 13A around the bundle of the plurality of electric wires 12. Furthermore, because the flexibility of the collar 17 is lower than that of the protective tube 13A, even if a bending force acts on the harness assembly 6C, bending at the position of the collar 17 can be suppressed, and the harness assembly 6C can be bent at the bending point B located between the two collars 17.

[0052] Fifth Embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components equivalent to those in the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof may be omitted. In the description of this embodiment, reference may be made to the drawings used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0053] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a harness assembly 6D in the fifth embodiment. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the harness assembly 6D shown in Fig. 12 with the protective tube 13A, the holding member 14, and the tube holding member 16 removed. The harness assembly 6D of this embodiment is disposed in the on-board power conversion device 1 in place of the harness assembly 6 shown in Fig. 1.

[0054] In the harness assembly 6D of this embodiment, an axially extending shape-retaining member 18 is provided inside the protective tube 13A. The shape-retaining member 18 is a flat plate-like member arranged between two fixing members 15 along the plurality of electric wires 12, and is arranged in a position where its plane is on the inside of the desired bend. In other words, the fixing members 15 fix the shape-retaining member 18 and the plurality of electric wires 12 together. The shape-retaining member 18 is made of a shape-memory resin and is configured to maintain its deformed shape when deformed by applying force.

[0055] As described above, in the harness assembly 6D of this embodiment, the shape-retaining member 18 extending in the axial direction is provided inside the protective tube 13A.

[0056] According to this configuration, as shown in Figure 3, when the housing cover 8 is closed, the plane of the shape-retaining member 18 inside the protective tube 13A bends while guiding it in the desired bending direction and maintains the shape after bending, making it easier to deform the harness assembly 6D into the desired bent shape and maintaining that bent shape.

[0057] The present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, but is limited only by the scope of the claims. Within the scope of the claims, it is possible to combine configurations of multiple embodiments, modify or omit configurations of each embodiment, or replace them with well-known configurations.

[0058] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the holding member 14, the fixing member 15, and the tube holding member 16 are formed from resin tape, but this is not limiting. The holding member 14, the fixing member 15, or the tube holding member 16 may be a band or the like made of resin or rubber. When attached in a circular shape, this band may be configured to adjust the circumferential length of the ring (i.e., the inner diameter), or may be configured to generate a compressive force toward the inside in the radial direction. The holding member 14, the fixing member 15, or the tube holding member 16 may be elastic as well as flexible.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the harness assemblies 6 and 6A to 6D each include the second connector 11, but these harness assemblies may be configured without the second connector 11. The harness assembly of the present disclosure may be configured with three or more connectors.

[0060] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...In-vehicle power conversion device 6, 6A to 6D...Harness assembly 8...Housing cover 8a...Housing top surface 8b...Housing side surface 10...First connector (connector) 12, 12a, 12b...Electric wire 13, 13A...Protective tube 14...Holding member 15...Fixing member 16...Tube holding member 17...Collar 18...Shape holding member B...Bent portion

Claims

1. A harness assembly comprising: a connector attached to a housing cover that integrates the top and side surfaces of an on-board power conversion device housing, and that is connected to equipment external to the on-board power conversion device; a plurality of electric wires, each covered with a coating material, with the connector attached to one end; a flexible protective tube that covers the plurality of electric wires; and two holding members, less flexible than the protective tube, that are provided on both axial sides of a portion where the plurality of electric wires are bent and surround the outer surface of the protective tube.

2. A harness assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein, of the plurality of electric wires, the electric wires arranged on the outer side of the bent portion are longer than the electric wires arranged on the inner side of the bent portion, and two fixing members are provided on both axial sides of the two holding members for winding the plurality of electric wires and fixing the plurality of electric wires.

3. A harness assembly as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective tube is configured such that a band-shaped member is wound circumferentially around the plurality of electric wires, with at least a portion of the band overlapping in the circumferential direction, and two tube holding members are provided that hold both axial ends of the protective tube by wrapping around them.

4. A harness assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a cylindrical collar with the plurality of electric wires passing therethrough is provided inside the protective tube, the inner diameter of the collar is larger than the outer diameter of the bundle of the plurality of electric wires, the flexibility of the collar is lower than that of the protective tube, and the axial position of the collar is equivalent to the axial position of the holding member.

5. A harness assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the surface of each coating material of the plurality of electric wires is coated with talc.

6. A harness assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a flat shape-retaining member extending in the axial direction is provided inside the protective tube and is positioned on the inside of the bend.

7. An on-vehicle power conversion device comprising the harness assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images