Wire harness and method for producing wire harness

Abstract

A wire harness according to an example of the present disclosure is provided with a plurality of wires having the same line color in a partial section in the extension direction and having different line colors in a section different from the partial section.

Description

Wire harness and method for manufacturing wire harness

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-108965, filed on July 5, 2024, and incorporates by reference all of the contents of that application.

[0002] In a vehicle, a wire harness is used to connect multiple on-board devices. The wire harness is an electrical component in which multiple electric wires are bundled together, and the multiple electric wires may include a communication line used for communication between the multiple on-board devices.

[0003] In recent years, a widespread method of stealing a vehicle has been to strip away part of the vehicle's exterior to expose the wiring harness, and then use the wiring harness to gain unauthorized access to the vehicle's onboard devices. This method is known as "CAN invader," and there is an urgent need for crime prevention measures.

[0004] Examples of crime prevention measures include steering wheel locks and tire locks, but these locks have problems, such as the need for legitimate drivers to unlock the vehicle when driving, and so they are not widely used.

[0005] It is also possible to implement anti-theft measures for wire harnesses. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for standardizing the color of the covering of electric wires from the viewpoint of anti-theft, etc. However, standardizing the color of the covering makes it difficult to identify the electric wires, which may result in defects during manufacturing and assembly. For this reason, Patent Document 1 provides a marking portion formed of a material that changes color through an irreversible reaction on the covering of the electric wire, thereby enabling identification of the electric wires during manufacturing and assembly, etc., and then makes the marking portion difficult to read due to the color change, thereby making it difficult to identify the electric wires after assembly.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-22648

[0007] A wire harness according to an example of the present disclosure includes a plurality of electric wires having the same wire color in a section in an extension direction and having different wire colors in sections other than the section.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wire harness according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an enlarged view of a portion of the wire harness according to the first embodiment in the extension direction. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an enlarged view of a portion of the wire harness according to a modified example of the first embodiment in the extension direction. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an enlarged view of a portion of the wire harness according to a modified example of the first embodiment in the extension direction. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a wire harness according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a series of steps for manufacturing the wire harness according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating each step for manufacturing the wire harness according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an enlarged view of one end of a plurality of wire harnesses according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a table illustrating an example of color scheme information. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a series of steps for manufacturing a plurality of wire harnesses according to the second embodiment.

[0009] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the wire harness disclosed in Patent Document 1, the marking portion is provided on only a small portion of the electric wires, and the electric wires are configured with the same color in the rest of the wire harness. Therefore, during manufacturing, it is possible to identify the electric wires by looking at the marking portion, but workers must pay greater attention to identifying the electric wires than when the electric wires each have a different coating color. This imposes a higher workload on workers, resulting in the risk of human error. Furthermore, if manufacturing takes longer than usual, the marking portion may discolor during manufacturing, making it difficult to identify the electric wires.

[0010] In view of the above problem, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a wire harness and a method for manufacturing the wire harness that can implement anti-theft measures while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0011] Effect of the Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to take measures to prevent theft while suppressing an increase in the workload during the manufacture of a wire harness.

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] The gist of the embodiments of the present disclosure includes the following configurations.

[0013] (1) A wire harness according to an example of the present disclosure includes a plurality of electric wires having the same wire color in a section in the extension direction and having different wire colors in sections other than the section.

[0014] With this configuration, in some sections, the wires are the same color, making it difficult to find the target wire by relying on the wire color, while in other sections, the wire colors are different, making it possible to distinguish between multiple wires. This makes it possible to implement anti-theft measures for wire harnesses while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0015] (2) In the wire harness of (1) above, the partial section may be located at a position that is exposed by removing an exterior part of the vehicle when the plurality of electric wires are routed in the vehicle.

[0016] With this configuration, it is difficult for a thief who removes exterior parts and sees only a portion of the wire harness to distinguish the wires, whereas during manufacturing, workers can see the other sections of the wire harness before it is assembled into a vehicle, and can therefore distinguish the wires. This makes it possible to implement crime prevention measures for wire harnesses while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0017] (3) A wire harness according to an example of the present disclosure includes electric wires connecting a plurality of on-board devices and a linear member having at least one end located inside the end of the electric wire in the extension direction and not connected to at least one of the plurality of on-board devices, and the line color of the linear member is the same as the line color of the electric wires in at least a portion of the extension direction.

[0018] With this configuration, in some sections, electric wires and linear components of the same color coexist, making it difficult to find the target electric wire by relying on the wire color, while the linear components are not connected to multiple on-board devices, making it easy to distinguish between electric wires and linear components by looking at the other sections. This makes it possible to take anti-theft measures for wire harnesses while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0019] (4) A method for manufacturing a wire harness according to one example of the present disclosure includes: a bundling step of bundling a plurality of electric wires having different wire colors; and a color changing step of changing the wire colors of a portion of an extension direction of at least some of the plurality of electric wires before or after the bundling step, so that the wire colors of the portion of the plurality of electric wires are the same.

[0020] This configuration allows the manufacture of wire harnesses in which some sections have the same wire color and the remaining sections have different wire colors. Since workers can distinguish between multiple electric wires based on the wire colors of the remaining sections, it is possible to take anti-theft measures for wire harnesses while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacture.

[0021] (5) In the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to (4) above, the discoloring step may include a step of changing the wire color by painting the partial section of the partial electric wires, a step of changing the wire color by wrapping tape around the partial section of the partial electric wires, or a step of changing the wire color by irreversibly discoloring the partial section of the partial electric wires.

[0022] By configuring in this way, it is possible to make the line colors in some sections the same.

[0023] (6) A wire harness according to an example of the present disclosure includes a plurality of electric wires each having a different wire color according to a predetermined color pattern, and an identification unit that displays predetermined information relating to a link between the color pattern of the plurality of electric wires and the identification of the electric wires, and is one of a plurality of wire harnesses in which the functions of the plurality of electric wires are the same and the color schemes of the plurality of electric wires are different.

[0024] According to this type of wire harness, since the color schemes of the multiple wire harnesses are different, it is difficult for thieves to empirically find the target wire by its wire color. Also, workers can identify each wire based on the identification part. This makes it possible to implement anti-theft measures for wire harnesses while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0025] (7) In the wire harness of (6) above, the identification unit may display the predetermined information as an encoded symbol, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code, and the predetermined information may be color information linking color schemes of the plurality of electric wires with identification information of the plurality of electric wires, or address information that allows access to the color scheme information.

[0026] With this configuration, the worker can know the identification information of each electric wire based on the identification unit.

[0027] (8) A manufacturing method of a wire harness according to one example of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method for manufacturing a plurality of wire harnesses in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled together, the manufacturing method including: a preparation step of preparing coloration information in which, for identification information of the plurality of electric wires and coloration of the plurality of electric wires, a plurality of coloration patterns each having a different coloration are linked to the same identification information; a gathering step of bundling the plurality of electric wires as a first wire harness based on a first pattern of the plurality of coloration patterns, and bundling the plurality of electric wires as a second wire harness having the same function as the first wire harness but a different coloration based on a second pattern of the plurality of coloration patterns that is different from the first pattern; and an attaching step of attaching, to the first wire harness and the second wire harness, an identification unit that encodes the coloration information corresponding to each of the coloration patterns or address information that allows access to the coloration information.

[0028] With this configuration, it is possible to manufacture a plurality of wire harnesses that have the same function but different color schemes.

[0029] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Hereinafter, details of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] [Definition of Terms] Before describing the details of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the definitions of key terms will be provided first.

[0031] Wire harness: A collection of transmission parts with connectors attached to both ends of electric wires (also called transmission lines). Also called a cable assembly.

[0032] Extension direction: When the electric wires of the wire harness are extended in a substantially straight line, this refers to the direction along the center line of the electric wires that extend in a straight line.

[0033] First Embodiment Overall Configuration of Wire Harness Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wire harness 11 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 1 illustrates the wire harness 11 after being assembled to a vehicle V1.

[0034] The wire harness 11 electrically connects the in-vehicle device 12 and the in-vehicle device 13. Connectors C1, C1 are provided at both ends of the wire harness 11. By inserting these connectors C1, C1 into the sockets of the in-vehicle devices 12, 13, respectively, the wire harness 11 and the in-vehicle devices 12, 13 are electrically connected.

[0035] The vehicle V1 includes an exterior part E1. The exterior part E1 can be peeled off from the vehicle V1 manually or with a tool, and removing the exterior part E1 exposes a partial section 21 of the wire harness 11. In this way, the wire harness 11 is normally housed inside the vehicle V1, but by manually removing the exterior part E1, the partial section 21 becomes visible from the outside.

[0036] The location of the exterior part E1 is not particularly limited, but it is a location on the vehicle V1 that is relatively easy to peel off and that allows access to the partial section 21 from the outside by peeling it off, and is a location that is empirically expected to be targeted by thieves. For this reason, multiple exterior parts E1 may be expected on one vehicle V1, and in this case, the wire harness 11 may include multiple partial sections 21.

[0037] In the following description, a section (partial section 21) in the extension direction of the wire harness 11 that is exposed when the exterior part E1 is removed will be referred to as the "first section 21." Also, a section in the extension direction of the wire harness 11 that is different from the partial section 21 will be referred to as the "second section 22." The second section 22 is, for example, a section that is located more internally of the vehicle V1 than the first section 21, and is a section that cannot be easily seen even when the exterior part E1 is removed. The second section 22 is longer in the extension direction than the first section 21.

[0038] An example of vehicle theft will now be described. A thief approaches a vehicle V1 parked in a parking lot or the like and removes the exterior part E1 with bare hands or a tool. The thief then searches the first section 21 of the wire harness 11 for a communication line used for communication between the on-board devices 12 and 13 and gains unauthorized access to the on-board devices 12 and 13 through the communication line. The communication line may be, for example, a Controller Area Network (CAN) cable, and the color of the cable may be standardized depending on the model of the vehicle V1. For example, if the CAN cable in a certain model of vehicle V11 is "red," the CAN cable in a vehicle V12 of the same model as vehicle V11 may also be "red." Therefore, after exposing the first section 21, the thief can search for a cable of the desired "color" from among the multiple electrical wires included in the wire harness 11 and steal the vehicle.

[0039] For example, it is said that the time it takes for a thief to approach vehicle V1 and complete the theft of vehicle V1 is on average several minutes, and in some cases less than one minute, meaning that the crime is committed in a very short time. In this regard, if the crime takes even a little time, thieves tend to give up midway through the crime, as they do not want to risk being discovered.

[0040] Therefore, as a countermeasure against such crimes, in this embodiment, the wires in the first section 21 are all the same color, making it more difficult for thieves to find the target wire. This increases the time required to commit the crime, making it possible to discourage thieves from committing the crime and preventing them from completing the theft.

[0041] On the other hand, if the wire colors of all sections of the multiple electric wires included in the wire harness 11 are the same, workers may not be able to distinguish between the electric wires during manufacturing, which may increase the workload during manufacturing.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, the wire colors of the multiple electric wires included in the wire harness 11 are made different from each other in the second section 22, which is a section different from the first section 21. As a result, because the wire colors of the first section 21 are the same, it is difficult for a thief who looks only at the first section 21 of the wire harness 11 to distinguish the electric wires. However, during manufacturing, workers can see the second section 22 of the wire harness 11 in a state before it is assembled to the vehicle V1, so the workers can easily distinguish the electric wires. In particular, because the second section 22 is longer in the extension direction than the first section 21, the electric wires can be more easily distinguished. This makes it possible to implement crime prevention measures while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0043] Here, the wire colors of the wire harness 11 being "the same" include not only a perfect match in color but also a small color difference. In other words, when the multiple electric wires are viewed by the human eye, a color difference between the multiple electric wires may occur to the extent that visual discrimination under visible light is ensured in accordance with accepted social standards. More specifically, if the color difference between one electric wire and another electric wire (e.g., Euclidean distance in L*a*b* space) is less than 12, the electric wires belong to the same color family, and therefore, in the present disclosure, the wire colors are expressed as "the same." In particular, a color difference of less than 3.0 is more preferable because it is difficult to recognize the color difference between the multiple electric wires at a glance.

[0044] Furthermore, the wire colors of the wire harness 11 being "different" from one another means that there is a significant color difference between the plurality of wires to the extent that they can be visually distinguished using visible light in accordance with accepted social standards when viewed with the human eye. In other words, the color difference between the plurality of wires in the second section 22 is greater than the color difference between the plurality of wires in the first section 21.

[0045] The length in the extension direction of the second section 22 may be equal to or shorter than the length in the extension direction of the first section 21. Even in this case, the worker can easily distinguish the electric wire by, for example, setting the length in the extension direction of the second section 22 to a predetermined first length or longer that is suitable for worker visibility. The first length is, for example, 3 centimeters.

[0046] [First Configuration Example of Wire Harness] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the wire harness 11 in the extension direction. The above-mentioned anti-theft measures will be described in more detail. The wire harness 11 includes a plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33. In Fig. 2, these three electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are illustrated as the plurality of electric wires, but the number of electric wires actually included in the wire harness 11 may be greater than this.

[0047] Each of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 is a coated electric wire having an insulating outer sheath (e.g., polyvinyl chloride) provided on a core wire. The core wire may be a single wire or multiple wires. The wire colors of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 refer to the color of the outer periphery of each outer sheath. In the second section 22, the wire color of the electric wire 31 is a first color (e.g., brown), the wire color of the electric wire 32 is a second color (e.g., red), and the wire color of the electric wire 33 is a third color (e.g., blue). Thus, the wire colors of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are different from one another in the second section 22. In contrast, in the first section 21, the wire colors of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are the same, that is, a fourth color (e.g., black).

[0048] 1 , the second section 22 is longer in the extension direction than the first section 21 that is exposed when the exterior part E1 is removed. When the first section 21 and the second section 22 are each divided into multiple sections, the total length of the second section 22 is longer than the total length of the first section 21. Therefore, during manufacturing, all sections of the wire harness 11, including the first section 21 and the second section 22, are visible to the worker. Therefore, even if the wire colors of the first section 21 are the same, the worker can distinguish the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 from each other by the wire colors of the second section 22 in the conventional manner.

[0049] 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the wire harness 11a in the extension direction according to a modification of the present embodiment. The wire harness 11a differs from the wire harness 11 in that the wire harness 11a includes an electric wire 31a instead of the electric wire 31. The other features are the same as those of the wire harness 11, and therefore a description of the common features will be omitted.

[0050] The wire color of the first section 21 of the electric wire 31a is the same as the wire color of the second section 22, for example, a fourth color. In this manner, the wire color of the first section 21 and the second section 22 may be the same for at least one electric wire 31a among the plurality of electric wires 31a, 32, and 33 included in the wire harness 11a. In this case, too, the wire colors of the first section 21 of the plurality of electric wires 31a, 32, and 33 are the same as each other, that is, the fourth color, whereas the wire colors of the second section 22 are different from each other, that is, the fourth color, the second color, and the third color, respectively, and therefore the same effect as that of the wire harness 11 described above can be achieved.

[0051] 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a wire harness 11b according to a modification of the present embodiment in the extension direction. The wire harness 11b is mainly different from the wire harness 11 in that the first section 21 is not colored in a single color but is colored in a random color pattern.

[0052] For example, in the second section 22, the wire colors of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are the first color, the second color, and the third color, respectively, which is the same as that of the wire harness 11. In contrast, the multiple wire harnesses 11b have different color schemes in the first section 21. In the example of Fig. 4, the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 in the first section 21 are colored in the third color, the first color, and the second color, respectively, but in another wire harness 11b (not shown), the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are colored in the second color, the third color, and the first color, respectively.

[0053] In this way, by coloring the first sections 21 of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 between the multiple wire harnesses 11b according to a random color pattern, among multiple vehicles V1 of the same model, the electric wire that exhibits the first color in the first section 21 of one vehicle V1 will be electric wire 31, while in another vehicle V1 the electric wire that exhibits the first color in the first section 21 will be electric wire 32 or electric wire 33, making it difficult for a thief who attempts to find a target electric wire by relying on the color of the electric wire to find the desired electric wire.

[0054] 5 is a diagram showing a wire harness 11c according to a modification of the present embodiment. The wire harness 11c is mainly different from the wire harness 11 in that a dummy wire 35 of the same color as the electric wires 33 is provided in the first section 21.

[0055] The electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are all electric wires that connect a plurality of in-vehicle devices 12 and 13. Of these, for example, it is assumed that the electric wire 33 is a communication cable used for communication between the in-vehicle devices 12 and 13, and is a wire that is targeted by thieves.

[0056] The wire harness 11c further includes one or more dummy wires 35 (two in the example of FIG. 5 ) in addition to the electric wires 31, 32, and 33. The dummy wires 35 may be coated electric wires having an insulating outer sheath on a core wire, or may be resin tubes having the same outer shape as the outer sheath without a core wire. In other words, the dummy wires 35 do not need to be electric wires.

[0057] Both ends of the dummy wire 35 are located inside the ends of the electric wire 33 in the extension direction, and are not connected to any of the multiple on-board devices 12, 13. In other words, the dummy wire 35 is shorter than the electric wire 33, and both ends of the dummy wire 35 are interrupted midway along the electric wire 33 and do not reach the connector C1. Furthermore, the dummy wire 35 is provided throughout the first section 21, and both ends of the dummy wire 35 are located outside the first section 21.

[0058] The line color of the dummy wire 35 is the same as the line color of the electric wire 33. For example, when the line color of the electric wire 33 is a third color (e.g., blue), the line color of the dummy wire 35 is also the third color. Note that the line color of the dummy wire 35 only needs to be the same as the line color of the electric wire 33 in at least the first section 21, and the line color of the dummy wire 35 may be different from the line color of the electric wire 33 in sections other than the first section 21. However, since changing the color of the dummy wire 35 midway through the line can increase material costs, it is preferable to make the dummy wire 35 a single color throughout its entire length in order to suppress such an increase in cost.

[0059] The dummy wire 35 is fixed to the electric wires 31, 32, and 33 by bundling them together with the cable ties 34. For example, the dummy wire 35 is additionally fixed to the electric wires 31, 32, and 33 after the electric wires 31, 32, and 33 have already been bundled and connected to the connector C1. In this way, by first bundling the electric wires 31, 32, and 33 to manufacture a wire harness, and then adding the dummy wire 35, it is possible to prevent mistakes between the electric wires 33 and the dummy wire 35 during manufacturing and to suppress an increase in the workload during manufacturing. The dummy wire 35 may also be fixed to the electric wires 31, 32, and 33 by other means, such as adhesive tape.

[0060] In this wire harness 11c, the electric wires 33 and the dummy wires 35 of the same color coexist in the first section 21, making it difficult to find the target electric wire 33 by relying on the wire color. On the other hand, the dummy wires 35 are not connected to the multiple on-board devices 12, 13, so the electric wires 33 and the dummy wires 35 can be easily distinguished by looking at sections other than the first section 21. This makes it possible to implement anti-theft measures while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing of the wire harness. Furthermore, because both ends of the dummy wires 35 are not connected to the connector C1, the dummy wires 35 can be shorter than the electric wires 33, thereby reducing material costs compared to using dummy wires of the same length as the electric wires 33.

[0061] Note that one end of the dummy wire 35 may be connected to the connector C1, and the other end may not be connected to the connector C1. For example, if the first section 21 is located near one of the connectors C1, it is preferable to connect one end of the dummy wire 35 to the connector C1 to disguise the appearance of the electric wire 33. Even in this case, the other end of the dummy wire 35 is not connected to the connector C1 and is located more inward in the extension direction than the end of the electric wire 33 on the same side. Therefore, during and after manufacturing, the electric wire 33 and the dummy wire 35 can be easily distinguished from each other by looking at sections other than the first section 21. Furthermore, because the other end of the dummy wire 35 is not connected to the connector C1, it is possible to prevent incorrect connection of the electric wire 33 and the dummy wire 35 during manufacturing.

[0062] In this way, by configuring the dummy wire 35 so that at least one end is positioned more inward in the extension direction than the end of the electric wire 33 and is not connected to at least one of the multiple vehicle-mounted devices 12, 13, it is possible to take security measures while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0063] Here, the dummy wire 35 is a linear member provided to disguise the electric wire 33. Since the dummy wire 35 is required only to be recognized as a wire of the same color as the electric wire 33, it may be a linear member having only an outer sheath without a core (i.e., a hollow member, such as a polyvinyl chloride tube), or a linear member having a solid structure made of the same material as the outer sheath (i.e., a solid member, such as a polyvinyl chloride string). In this way, since the dummy wire 35 does not conduct electricity between the multiple on-board devices 12, 13, the core wire used for conduction can be omitted. This allows the material cost of the wire harness 11 to be reduced.

[0064] 6 is a flowchart illustrating a series of steps for manufacturing the wire harness 11 of this embodiment. The method for manufacturing the wire harness 11 includes a bundling step (step ST11) of bundling the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33, and a color-changing step (step ST12) of changing the wire colors of the first sections 21 of the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33 to be the same as each other.

[0065] The wire harness 11 manufactured through these steps is then assembled to the vehicle V1 through an assembly step (step ST13). In the assembly step, the worker arranges the wire harness 11 in the vehicle so that the first section 21 is positioned near the exterior part E1.

[0066] 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams illustrating the steps of manufacturing the wire harness 11. As shown in (a) of Fig. 7A, in the bundling step, a worker bundles together a plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33 and fixes these electric wires 31, 32, and 33 with a plurality of binding bands 34. The worker also connects connectors C1 to the ends of the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33.

[0067] Next, as shown in (b) in Fig. 7, in the color-changing step, the worker colors the first sections 21 of the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33 to a fourth color. For example, the worker uses a paint spray to spray oil-based paint onto the outer peripheries of the first sections 21 of the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33, thereby changing the color of the first sections 21. In this case, the electric wire 31 is changed (colored) from the original first color to the fourth color, the electric wire 32 is changed from the second color to the fourth color, and the electric wire 33 is changed from the third color to the fourth color.

[0068] In this way, by collectively changing the wire colors of the first sections 21 of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 after the bundling process, it is possible to make the wire colors of the first sections 21 the same while suppressing an increase in the number of steps in the color-changing process compared to changing the colors of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 one by one. Furthermore, because the color-changing process is performed after the bundling process, the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33, including the first sections 21, are all different colors in the bundling process. Therefore, since the worker can easily distinguish the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 by color, the workload when connecting the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 to the connector C1 is not increased and human error, such as connecting the wrong wires, can be prevented.

[0069] Furthermore, even when the bundling process is performed automatically by machine, the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33, including the first section 21, are each a different color before coloring, making it easier for the machine to distinguish the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 by color, and preventing errors such as misrecognition of wire color.

[0070] [Second Example of Wire Harness Manufacturing Method: Order of Color-Changing Steps] In the above example, the color-changing step is performed after the bundling step. However, the color-changing step may be performed before the bundling step. For example, the regions of the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, and 33 before bundling that correspond to the first sections 21 may be colored one by one or multiple by one with a paint spray, and then these electric wires 31, 32, and 33 may be bundled.

[0071] The color-changing step may be performed after the assembly step. For example, after the wire harness 11 is assembled to the vehicle V1, the wire colors of the plurality of electric wires in the first section 21 may be colored the same color using a paint spray.

[0072] Here, because the wire harness 11 is flexible, the wire harness 11 may shift in the extension direction when it is assembled to the vehicle V1. If the wire harness 11 is assembled to the vehicle V1 after coloring a portion of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33, the colored area may shift from the first section 21, and a section with a different wire color may be visible when the exterior part E1 is removed. If the discoloring process is performed after the assembly process, the wire colors of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 can be more reliably made the same color throughout the entire first section 21.

[0073] Furthermore, regardless of when the color-changing process is performed, in order to prevent misalignment between the colored region and the first section 21 due to misalignment in the extension direction of the wire harness 11, for example, a part of the second section 22 adjacent to the first section 21 may also be colored the same color. That is, a buffer section of the second section 22 adjacent to the first section 21 may be colored in the same color as the first section 21. By configuring in this way, the line color of the entire section that is visible when the exterior part E1 is actually removed can be more reliably the same color, and theft prevention measures can be more reliably implemented.

[0074] [Third Example of Wire Harness Manufacturing Method: Details of Color Change] In the above example, the first section 21 is colored by spraying. However, the method of changing the wire color of the first section 21 is not limited to this. For example, paint may be applied to the electric wire with a brush, or the electric wire may be colored by immersing a part of the electric wire in a tank containing paint. Furthermore, the color of the outer periphery of the electric wire may be changed to a fourth color by wrapping a fourth color tape around the outer periphery of the electric wire.

[0075] Furthermore, a coating that irreversibly changes color uniformly to the fourth color when heated may be used as the insulating coating that constitutes the first sections 21 of the plurality of electric wires 31, 32, 33. For example, in the color-changing step, the first sections 21 of the electric wires 31, 32, 33, which are the first color, the second color, and the third color, respectively, before heating, may be heated by a heating device such as a hair dryer or an iron, thereby causing these insulating coatings to change color uniformly to the fourth color.

[0076] In addition, the entire area of ​​the multiple electric wires 31, 32, 33 or a partial area including the first section 21 may be painted with paint that changes color when heated (temperature-changing ink), and after the bundling process or the assembly process, the wire color of the first section 21 may be changed to the fourth color by heating.

[0077] The color may also be changed by a method other than heating. For example, the insulating coating or paint may be irreversibly changed in color by irradiation with visible light, ultraviolet light, or by passing an electric current through it.

[0078] [Fourth Example of Wire Harness Manufacturing Method: Other] In the above example, the wire colors of the first sections 21 of all of the multiple electric wires 31, 32, and 33 are changed. However, in the case where the wire harness 11a ( FIG. 3 ) includes an electric wire whose first section 21 and second section 22 have the same color, such as the electric wire 31a, the electric wire 31a does not need to be painted. In other words, the color-changing step may be performed by changing the wire colors of the first sections 21 of at least some of the electric wires 32 and 33 among the multiple electric wires 31a, 32, and 33, so that the wire colors of the first sections 21 of the multiple electric wires 31a, 32, and 33 are made the same.

[0079] Second Embodiment [Configuration Example of Wire Harness] Fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing one end of a plurality of wire harnesses 41a, 41b according to a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, components common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0080] In the first embodiment, the second section 22 is given a different wire color, while the first section 21 that is exposed when the exterior part E1 is removed is given the same wire color or the colors are arranged randomly among the multiple wire harnesses 11, making it difficult for thieves to find the target electric wire.

[0081] However, if a thief were to pry open an exterior panel in an unexpected location on the vehicle V1 (a location other than the expected exterior part E1), the thief might find the second section 22 instead of the first section 21. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the color patterns of the multiple wire harnesses 41a, 41b having the same function are made different throughout the entire extension direction. This makes it difficult for a thief to identify the wires having a specific function (e.g., a communication function) from the color of the wires, regardless of which section of the wire harnesses 41a, 41b are being routed in the vehicle V1.

[0082] Meanwhile, the plurality of wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b are provided with identification portions 44 a, 44 b that indicate the association between the color scheme pattern and the identification of the electric wires. The identification portions 44 a, 44 b are printed, for example, on the connectors C1 of each of the wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b. A worker who manufactures the plurality of wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b can identify each electric wire by the color scheme of the plurality of electric wires included in each of the wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b during manufacturing, and can also identify each electric wire after assembly based on the identification portions 44 a, 44 b. This makes it possible to implement security measures while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0083] For simplicity's sake, the following description will use two types of wire harnesses 41a and 41b as examples of multiple wire harnesses colored according to a random color pattern. However, in practice, more types of wire harnesses may be prepared to improve the effectiveness of theft prevention. For example, if ten types of wire harnesses with the same function but completely different color schemes are installed in multiple vehicles V1 of the same make and model, even if a thief attempts to steal multiple vehicles V1 sequentially, the probability that the targeted wires will be the same color is less than one in ten. This makes it difficult for a thief to distinguish between wires by color based on empirical rules. The following describes each of the wire harnesses 41a and 41b in detail.

[0084] The wire harness 41a includes a plurality of electric wires 51a, 52a, and 53a. The electric wires 51a, 52a, and 53a are of types L1, L2, and L3, respectively, and each electric wire 51a, 52a, and 53a has a function corresponding to its type. For example, the type L1 is a communication line such as a CAN cable, the type L2 is a conductive cable that communicates only one type of signal, also known as a "direct line," and the type L3 is a power line for supplying electric power. The types of wires are not limited to these three types and may include, for example, an Ethernet cable for network communication according to Ethernet (registered trademark) or an optical fiber cable for optical communication.

[0085] The wire colors of the plurality of electric wires 51 a, 52 a, 53 a are a first color (e.g., brown), a second color (e.g., red), and a third color (e.g., blue), respectively. For example, the colors of the insulating coatings of the plurality of electric wires 51 a, 52 a, 53 a are the first color, the second color, and the third color, respectively. This color scheme pattern will be referred to as a "first pattern P1" below, and the wire harness 41 a colored according to the first pattern P1 will be referred to as a "first wire harness 41 a" as appropriate.

[0086] The wire harness 41b includes a plurality of electric wires 51b, 52b, and 53b. The wire types of the plurality of electric wires 51b, 52b, and 53b are L1, L2, and L3, respectively, and the wire harness 41b has the same function as the wire harness 41a.

[0087] Here, "the same function" not only refers to having the exact same specifications or model numbers, but also includes compatibility of at least one with the other. For example, even if electric wire 51a is a CAN cable with a first model number and electric wire 51b is a CAN cable with a second model number different from the first model number, if the second model number is compatible with the first model number, electric wire 51b is said to have "the same function" as electric wire 51a. In other words, when wire harness 41a is replaced with wire harness 41b, even if there is some difference in functionality depending on the version of each electric wire, if on-board devices 12 and 13 operate normally according to accepted standards, the functions of the multiple electric wires included therein are said to be "the same."

[0088] The electric wires 51b, 52b, and 53b are colored in a color pattern different from the first pattern P1. Specifically, the wire colors of the electric wires 51b, 52b, and 53b are a third color, a first color, and a second color, respectively. This color pattern will be referred to as a "second pattern P2" below, and the wire harness 41b colored in accordance with the second pattern P2 will be referred to as a "second wire harness 41b" as appropriate.

[0089] The electric wires 51b, 52b, and 53b may be colored in a line color not included in the first pattern P1. For example, the line colors of the electric wires 51b, 52b, and 53b may be a fourth color (e.g., black), a fifth color (e.g., white), and a sixth color (e.g., yellow), respectively.

[0090] As described above, the first wire harness 41a and the second wire harness 41b have the same type of wires and share the same function. Meanwhile, the first wire harness 41a has the plurality of wires 51a, 52a, and 53a colored based on the first pattern P1, while the second wire harness 41b has the plurality of wires 51b, 52b, and 53b colored based on the second pattern P2, which is different from the first pattern P1. That is, the first wire harness 41a and the second wire harness 41b have the same function but different color schemes.

[0091] FIG. 9 shows an example of color scheme information D1 linking the color schemes of multiple electric wires with the identification information of the multiple electric wires. The color scheme information D1 is created and managed by the manufacturer of multiple wire harnesses 41a, 41b, for example, as information in a table format. In the example of FIG. 9, the color scheme information D1 links the color scheme patterns of multiple electric wires (first pattern P1, second pattern P2, ...) with the wire types L1, L2, L3, ... of the multiple electric wires. In the table representing the color scheme information D1, the title column stores the wire types L1, L2, L3 as identification information, the title row stores the type of color scheme pattern (P1, P2), the first pattern P1 column stores color information such as brown, red, blue, ... as the color scheme patterns corresponding to the wire types L1, L2, L3, ..., and the second pattern P2 column stores color information such as blue, brown, red, ....

[0092] As shown in Fig. 8, each of the identification portions 44a, 44b is provided with a symbol, barcode, or two-dimensional code that encodes color information D1 indicating the respective color patterns. For example, a table of color information D1 shown in Fig. 9 is shared in advance among authorized dealers. The authorized dealers are, for example, the manufacturers of the wire harnesses 41a, 41b, the manufacturer of the vehicle V1, the seller of the vehicle V1, and an inspection company for the vehicle V1.

[0093] The symbol "P1" is printed on the identification portion 44a of the first wire harness 41a, which is colored according to the first pattern P1. Similarly, the symbol "P2" is printed on the identification portion 44b of the second wire harness 41b, which is colored according to the second pattern P2. For example, a legitimate dealer who sees the identification portion 44a can compare the symbol "P1" with their own table of color scheme information D1 to determine the correspondence between the color scheme pattern (brown, red, blue) and the identification information (L1, L2, L3). This allows the legitimate dealer to identify the multiple electric wires 51a, 52a, 53a included in the first wire harness 41a, even if the color schemes are random for each of the multiple wire harnesses 41a, 41b.

[0094] Each of the identification units 44a and 44b may be a symbol, barcode, or two-dimensional code that encodes address information D2 (e.g., a URL) that allows access to data indicating the color scheme information D1, rather than a code that indicates the color scheme information D1 itself. In this case, authentication such as a password may be required when accessing the data.

[0095] For example, the authentication password is shared among the authorized vendors. To further enhance the security level, the authentication for accessing the data representing the color scheme information D1 may be two-step authentication or may use a one-time password.

[0096] If a two-dimensional code (e.g., QR Code: a registered trademark) encoding address information D2 is printed on the identification section 44a, these authorized dealers can capture and decode the two-dimensional code using a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone) during manufacturing and inspection to access data indicating color scheme information D1. Then, by entering an authentication password, the color scheme information D1 (e.g., information on the line type and column P1 in FIG. 8 ) of the first wire harness 41a is displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal. This allows the authorized dealer to know the correspondence between the line type and line color of the first wire harness 41a and identify the multiple electric wires included in the first wire harness 41a.

[0097] On the other hand, even if an unauthorized person such as a thief decodes the identification portion 44a of the first wire harness 41a, the color pattern of the first wire harness 41a cannot be known because an authentication password is required at the access destination. Furthermore, even if the password can be illegally unlocked in some way, knowing the color pattern of the first wire harness 41a requires the steps of capturing an image of the identification portion 44a, decoding the identification portion 44a, and authenticating the access destination, which takes time, and it is expected that the thief will give up on completing the theft for fear of being discovered during that time.

[0098] In this way, each of the identification sections 44a, 44b displays a symbol, barcode, or two-dimensional code that encodes the color scheme information D1 or address information D2 (i.e., predetermined information related to the identification of multiple electric wires), and therefore the manufacturer who attached these codes can identify multiple electric wires based on the color scheme information D1, while unauthorized persons will be unable to identify multiple electric wires or will take a long time to do so. This makes it possible to take security measures for multiple wire harnesses 41a, 41b while suppressing an increase in the workload during manufacturing.

[0099] [Method for Manufacturing Wire Harness] Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a series of steps for manufacturing a plurality of wire harnesses 41a, 41b according to the second embodiment. The method for manufacturing the plurality of wire harnesses 41a, 41b includes a preparation step (step ST21) for preparing color scheme information D1 (Fig. 9), a bundling step (step ST22) for bundling a plurality of electric wires into the wire harnesses 41a, 41b according to the color scheme information D1, and an attachment step (step ST23) for attaching each of the identification portions 44a, 44b to each of the wire harnesses 41a, 41b. The wire harnesses 41a, 41b manufactured by these steps are then respectively assembled into a plurality of vehicles V1 of the same vehicle model.

[0100] 9, the coloration information D1 is information that associates multiple coloration patterns P1, P2, each of which has a different color scheme, with the same identification information (L1, L2, L3) of multiple electric wires and their color schemes. In the preparation process, the coloration information D1 is prepared prior to the subsequent bundling process and applying process.

[0101] The bundling process and the applying process may be performed in parallel or in either order. An example in which the bundling process is performed first will be described below. The bundling process includes a first bundling process of bundling a plurality of electric wires into the first wire harness 41a and a second bundling process of bundling a plurality of electric wires into the second wire harness 41b.

[0102] The first bundling process is a process of bundling a plurality of electric wires based on a first pattern P1 of the plurality of color patterns P1, P2 as a first wire harness 41a. The second bundling process is a process of bundling a plurality of electric wires based on a second pattern P2 of the plurality of color patterns P1, P2 that is different from the first pattern P1 as a second wire harness 41b that has the same function as the first wire harness 41a but a different color pattern.

[0103] To improve work efficiency, the first bundling process and the second bundling process are not performed alternately, but rather, either one is performed at a time or in separate work lanes. For example, when manufacturing 100 first wire harnesses 41a and 100 second wire harnesses 41b in one lot, a worker first continuously produces 100 first wire harnesses 41a, then changes the setup of a visual inspection device that inspects the appropriateness of multiple electric wires by color, and then continuously produces 100 second wire harnesses 41b. Because the color scheme is the same among the multiple first wire harnesses 41a, the manufacturer can easily distinguish the multiple electric wires 51a, 52a, and 53a by color, thereby efficiently manufacturing the first wire harnesses 41a. Similarly, the second wire harnesses 41b can be efficiently manufactured.

[0104] In the marking step, for example, the identification portion 44a may be printed directly on the connector C1 provided at the end of the first wire harness 41a, or a sticker with the identification portion 44a printed thereon may be affixed. The identification portion 44a may not be attached to the connector C1, but may be attached to any suitable section other than the end of the first wire harness 41a, or may be separately attached as a tag to the outer periphery of the first wire harness 41a using a string member such as a cable tie. Similarly, the identification portion 44b may be attached to the second wire harness 41b by any method.

[0105] According to the above manufacturing method, it is possible to manufacture a plurality of wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b having the same functions but different color schemes. Furthermore, since the identification portions 44 a, 44 b can identify the plurality of electric wires included in the plurality of wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b during and after manufacturing, it is possible to take anti-theft measures for the plurality of wire harnesses 41 a, 41 b while suppressing an increase in the workload during and after manufacturing.

[0106] <<Additional Notes>> It should be noted that at least some of the above-described embodiments may be combined with each other in any desired manner. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0107] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11, 11a, 11b, 11c Wire harness 12 In-vehicle device 13 In-vehicle device 21 First section (partial section) 22 Second section 31, 32, 33 Electric wire 31a Electric wire 34 Binding band 35 Dummy wire 41a First wire harness 41b Second wire harness 44a, 44b Identification unit 51a, 52a, 53a Electric wire 51b, 52b, 53b Electric wire V1 Vehicle C1 Connector E1 Exterior part L1, L2, L3 Wire type P1 First pattern P2 Second pattern D1 Color scheme information D2 Address information

Claims

1. A wire harness comprising a plurality of electric wires having the same wire color in a section in the extension direction, and having different wire colors in sections other than the section.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the partial section is located in a position that is exposed by removing an exterior part of the vehicle when the plurality of electric wires are routed in the vehicle.

3. A wire harness comprising: electric wires connecting a plurality of on-board devices; and a linear member having at least one end located inside the ends of the electric wires in the extension direction and not connected to at least one of the plurality of on-board devices, wherein the line color of the linear member is the same as the line color of the electric wires in at least a partial section in the extension direction.

4. A method for manufacturing a wire harness, comprising: a bundling step of bundling a plurality of electric wires having different wire colors; and a color changing step of changing the wire color of a portion of the extension direction of at least some of the plurality of electric wires before or after the bundling step, so that the wire colors of the portion of the plurality of electric wires are the same.

5. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 4, wherein the discoloring step includes: a step of changing the wire color by painting the portion of the electric wires; a step of changing the wire color by wrapping tape around the portion of the electric wires; or a step of changing the wire color by irreversibly discoloring the portion of the electric wires.

6. A wire harness comprising: a plurality of electric wires each colored in a different wire color according to a predetermined color pattern; and an identification unit that displays predetermined information relating to a link between the color pattern of the plurality of electric wires and the identification of the electric wires; wherein the wire harness is one of a plurality of wire harnesses in which the functions of the plurality of electric wires are the same and the color schemes of the plurality of electric wires are different.

7. The wire harness according to claim 6, wherein the identification unit displays the predetermined information as an encoded symbol, barcode, or two-dimensional code, and the predetermined information is color scheme information linking the color schemes of the plurality of electric wires with identification information of the plurality of electric wires, or address information by which the color scheme information can be accessed.

8. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a plurality of wire harnesses in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled, comprising: a preparation step of preparing coloration information in which a plurality of coloration patterns, each of which has a different color scheme, are linked to the same identification information and coloration of the plurality of electric wires; a gathering step of bundling the plurality of electric wires into a first wire harness based on a first pattern of the plurality of coloration patterns, and bundling the plurality of electric wires into a second wire harness having the same function as the first wire harness but a different coloration based on a second pattern of the plurality of coloration patterns, the second pattern being different from the first pattern; and an attaching step of attaching to the first wire harness and the second wire harness an identification unit that encodes the coloration information corresponding to each of the coloration patterns or address information that allows access to the coloration information.

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