JP2001008329A - Protector for wire harness - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a protector provided with ribs that are locked effectively with each recessed groove of a corrugated tube covering the outside circumference of a wire harness, and a locking means capable of reliably maintaining attachment of a protector body and a protector cover that constitute the protector. SOLUTION: This protector comprises a protector body 23 and a protector cover 24. A plurality of pairs of body ribs 31A, that are provided at an interval at two positions in the circumferential direction of the protector body 23 on its inside circumferential surface are formed along the direction of its shaft center. Also, a plurality of cover ribs 31B provided at a position in the width direction and formed at the corresponding positions to the body ribs 31A along the shaft center of the protector cover 24 are provided on its inside surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a protector for protecting, for example, a wire harness (wire bundle) to be routed on a vehicle body, and more particularly to a protector for effectively locking each groove of a corrugated tube over the outer periphery of the wire harness. The present invention relates to a protector structure provided with respective ribs provided thereon, and provided with locking means capable of surely maintaining the fixing between the protector body and the protector lid constituting the protector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional protector that is attached to the outer periphery of a corrugated tube attached to the outer periphery of a wire harness formed by bundling a large number of electric wires and used to protect the wire harness and the corrugated tube. As the structure, for example, the structure shown in FIG. 7 is known.

That is, the protector 1 has a protector body 2 formed in a gutter shape having a substantially U-shaped end surface, and a protector lid 3 attached to an upper opening of the protector body.
On the inner bottom surface of the protector body 2, each groove 7 of the corrugated tube 6 attached to the outer peripheral surface of a wire harness 5 formed by bundling a large number of electric wires 4.
A plurality of main body ribs 8 are fitted in the corrugated tube 6 to increase the coupling force between the corrugated tube 6 and the protector 1 and are integrally formed in an arc shape.

Similarly, a plurality of cover ribs 9 corresponding to the main body ribs 8 are formed on the inner surface of the protector cover 3, and the corrugated tube attached to the wire harness 5 is connected to the protector body 2. After the main body rib 8 of the protector main body 2 is fitted into the concave groove 7 formed in the corrugated tube 6, the protector lid 3 is put on the protector main body 2. A cover rib 9 formed on the protector cover 3 is fitted into the concave groove 7 of the corrugated tube 6,
Further, the protector main body 2 and the protector lid 3 are locked with the locking pieces 10 provided on the protector main body 2 and the locking claws 11 provided on the protector lid 3 to thereby protect the protector main body 2 and the protector lid. By integrally connecting the protector 1 and the wire harness 5, the outside of the wire harness 5 to which the corrugated tube is attached can be protected by the protector 1 so as not to be displaced.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional protector structure, the position of the body rib 8 provided on the protector body 2 and the position of the protector lid 3 are not limited.
Is formed in a position symmetrical in the diameter direction with the wire harness 5 interposed therebetween, so that the protector body 2 can be attached to the protector body 2 when the protector body 3 is attached. The corrugated tube 6 and the wire harness 5 are crushed into a flat shape by the intensive clamping force of the ribs of both the main body rib 8 provided on the protector cover 3 and the cover rib 9 provided on the protector cover 3. There is a disadvantage that the clamping force of the wire harness 5 acts nonuniformly in the circumferential direction. This is disclosed in JP-A-10-25
The same applies to the protector disclosed in 7630.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a pair of main body ribs 8 and lid ribs 9 formed on a conventional protector have a tip end width (W) which is substantially equal to the width of the concave groove 7 of the corrugated tube 6. Therefore, for example, when the adhesive tape 12 for binding the corrugated tube 6 is wound around the surface of the corrugated tube 6 covered around the wire harness 5, the ribs 8 and The contact area between the distal end surfaces 8A and 9A of the lid rib 9 and the adhesive tape 12 increases, and therefore, the main rib 8 and the distal end surfaces 8A and 9A of the lid rib 9 float above the surface of the corrugated tube 6. Sticking tape 1
2, it is difficult to break through the main body ribs 8 and the lid ribs 9, and the breaking force of the adhesive tape 12 required to fit the main body ribs 8 and the lid ribs 9 into the respective grooves of the corrugated tube 6 is insufficient. There is a problem that the certainty of engagement between the groove and the groove of the corrugated tube 6 cannot be obtained.

Further, the protector main body 2 and the protector lid 3 are formed by a locking piece 10 formed on the outer side surface of the conventional protector main body 2 and a locking claw 11 formed on the side surface of the protector lid 3. In the locking means, when an external force forcibly removing the protector lid 3 attached to the protector body 2 is applied between the protector body 2 and the protector lid 3, the locking piece 10 is locked. There is also a problem that the locking force is easily released from the claw 11.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem in the conventional protector. When a protector for protecting the periphery of the wire harness is attached to the periphery of the wire harness through a corrugated tube, the attaching force of the protector is reduced. In order to increase the adhering force between the wire harness and the protector by dispersing and equalizing the adhering force around the wire harness, which acts when the protector is attached, by applying the adhering pressure substantially uniformly in the circumferential direction of the wire harness. A first object is to prevent flattening of the harness and to maintain the circular shape retention of the wire harness.

Further, in the present invention, when the protector is attached to the periphery of the wire harness via the corrugated tube, a concave groove formed in the corrugated tube,
A second object is to increase the certainty of the form of engagement with the rib provided on the protector and to reliably maintain the locking force (engagement force) between the corrugated tube attached around the wire harness and the protector. I do.

Further, according to the present invention, the locking structure between the protector body and the protector lid constituting the protector is improved so that the protector attached around the wire harness can be easily detached from the wire harness. A third object is to provide a locking structure without any.

[0011]

In order to achieve the first object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a main body rib fitted into a concave groove of a corrugated tube attached to the outer periphery of a wire harness is provided. In a protector comprising a gutter-shaped protector body provided and a protector lid provided with a lid rib fitted on the outer periphery of the corrugated tube in cooperation with the protector body and fitted in the concave groove, On the inner circumferential surface of the gutter-shaped protector main body, a plurality of pairs of a pair of main body ribs are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction along the axial direction of the protector main body. A plurality of lid ribs are provided on the inner surface of the protector body at one position in the width direction and at a position corresponding to the main body rib along the axis of the protector lid. Circumferential direction of the positional relationship between the two body ribs and one lid ribs being spaced in the circumferential direction of the wire harness clamping space formed Kuta lid body when the 12
The ribs are positioned so as to be at equal intervals of 0 degree, and the height dimensions of the main body rib and the lid rib are stepwise in the axial direction of the protector main body and the protector lid, and along the depth direction from their opening edges. It is characterized by being a wire harness protector set to be large in size.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, each of the main body rib and the lid rib has a tapered cross-sectional shape. It is characterized by being a wire harness protector.

In order to achieve the third object,
According to claim 3 of the present invention, the protector body includes a protector body into which the wire harness is fitted, and a protector lid that is locked to the protector body and protects the wire harness in cooperation with the protector body. And a protector provided with a locking claw on one of the protector lids and a locking means on one of the other sides provided with a locking piece on which the locking claw is locked. When the locking claw is locked and the protector lid is attached to the protector body, an external force is applied in a direction in which the protector body and the protector lid are separated from each other, and The wire harness protector is provided with an elastic locking piece on the locking piece that generates a component force in a direction to increase the locking force with respect to the locking claw.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a wire harness 22 in which a number of electric wires are bundled.
And a protector used to protect a branch position at which the protector 21B branches to the branch line 22B.
Is composed of a resin protector body 23 formed in a gutter shape having a substantially U-shaped end face, and a substantially flat plate-shaped protector lid 24 attached to the upper opening of the protector body 23.

A corrugated tube 26 is placed around an outer periphery of a wire harness 22 formed by bundling a large number of electric wires in an internal space 25 formed when the protector body 23 is attached to the protector lid 24 on the protector body 23. Further, the outer periphery of the corrugated tube 26 and the wire harness 22
Around the outer periphery of the wire harness 22 and the corrugated tube 26 by, for example, winding an adhesive tape 27 or the like.
Is fixed so as to be accommodated together with the corrugated tube 26.

The wire harness 2 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the protector body 23 and the side surface of the protector lid 24.
Corrugated tube 26 attached to the outer periphery of 2
And a plurality of arc-shaped main ridges 29A and lid ridges 29B abutting against the circumferential ridges 28 in the circumferential direction.
A main rib 31A and a lid rib 31B are formed to extend from the inner side surfaces of A and 29B toward the center of the inner space 25 and fit into the circumferential groove 30 of the corrugated tube 27. I have. Moreover, those main body ribs 31
A and the cross-sectional shape of the lid rib 31B are trapezoids formed by tapering and inclined surfaces as shown in FIG. 4, and the leading end width dimension (HA) of each of the main body rib 31A and the lid rib 31B is the base width dimension of the ribs. HB).

On the inner surface of the protector main body 23,
A pair of main body ridges 29A and main body ribs 31A are formed in the circumferential direction, and one lid ridge 29B and a lid rib 3 are provided on the inner surface of the protector lid 24.
1B is formed. And the protector body 23
When the protector lid 24 is attached thereon, the positional relationship between the main body ridge 29A and the main body rib 31A and the lid ridge 29B and the lid rib 31B is as shown in FIG.
Are set at three equally spaced positions along the circumferential direction, that is, at 120 degree intervals.

The main body ridge 29A and the main body rib 31A
A plurality of pairs of the cover ribs 29B and the cover ribs 31B are arranged along the axis (YA) direction of the protector main body 23, and a plurality of pairs are equally spaced along the axis (YB) direction of the protector cover 24. (Interval equal to the interval between the concave grooves 30 of the corrugated tube 26). Further, the shaft center (Y
The height dimension of each main body rib 31A and the height dimension (HC) of the lid rib 31B formed along the A) direction and the (YB) direction are the opening-side ends of the protector main body 23 and the protector lid 24. It is set so that it gradually increases in the depth direction along the axis (YA) and (YB) from the edge.

On the outer surface of the protector main body 23, an elastic locking piece 32 is provided inside the locking piece 33 as locking means for integrally connecting and maintaining the protector main body 23 and the protector lid 24. And protector lid 2
A locking claw 3 that can be inserted into the locking piece 33
4 are protruded. Furthermore, the lower end of the elastic locking piece 32 is inclined toward the inside of the locking piece 33, and the lower end of the elastic locking piece 32 and the locking claw 34 engage with the protector main body 23. The connection with the protector lid 24 is maintained.

Assuming that an external force for detaching the protector body 23 and the protector cover 24 acts between the protector body 23 and the protector cover 24 during such connection maintenance, as shown in FIG. Locking claw 34
, An external force acts in the lifting direction shown by the arrow (a). A component force in the direction (b) is generated in the elastic locking piece 32 that has received the external force, and the locking force between the tip of the elastic locking piece 32 and the locking claw 34 is further increased by this component force. Body 23
And the protector lid 24 is secured.

As described above, according to the protector 21 having the above-described structure, the two main body ridges 29A formed in the circumferential direction in the inner space formed by the protector body 23 and the protector lid 24 and one protector 21 are provided. Since the cover ridges 29B are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction (120 ° intervals), the corrugated tube 26 and the wire harness 22 pressed by the body ridges 29A and the cover ridges 29B are flattened. Without being pressurized, the corrugated tubes 26
And the wire harness 22 is protected while maintaining a circular state.

The cross-sectional shapes of the main body rib 31A and the lid rib 31B provided on the protector main body 23 and the protector lid 24 are substantially tapered in cross section, and the width of the front end width (HA) is small. For example, the protector body 2 is formed in the shape of a knife edge.
The corrugated tube 26 taped by the adhesive tape 27 is housed together with the wire harness 22 between the protector body 3 and the protector lid 24, and the protector body 2
3 and the protector lid 24, the adhesive tape 2 floating from the surface of the corrugated tube 26 at the tips of the main body rib 31A and the lid rib 31B.
7 to break or press-fit the ribs 31A, 31A.
B is securely inserted into the concave groove 30 of the corrugated tube 26, and the engagement between the ribs 31A and 31B and the corrugated tube 26 is ensured.

A plurality of ribs 31A and 31B are provided in the protector body 23 and the protector lid 24 in the axial direction.
Is set so as to gradually increase from the opening of the protector 21 along the depth direction thereof, for example, the wire harness 22 and the corrugated tube 26.
When the outer diameter of the wire harness 22 and the corrugated tube 26 is small, the ribs 31A and 31B having relatively small height (HC) set at a position close to the opening of the protector 21 are used. When the outer diameters of the wire harness 22 and the corrugated tube 26 are small, the ribs 31A and 31B having relatively large height (HC) set at a position far from the opening of the protector 21 are used. Thus, if the wire harness 22 and the corrugated tube 26 are sandwiched, the protection of the wire harness by the protector 21 having a single structure can be ensured even if there are wire harnesses having different thicknesses.

Further, according to the locking means between the protector body 23 and the protector lid 24 having the above structure, the locking between the locking claw 34 and the elastic locking piece 32 can be ensured, and the protector body 2 can be secured.
An accident in which the protector lid 24 attached to 3 is detached from the protector main body 23 can be prevented beforehand.

[0026]

As described above, according to the wire harness protector of the present invention, the outer shape of the corrugated tube and the bundled wire harness can be changed to a circular shape without flattening the wire harness on which the corrugated tube is attached. It is possible to protect while keeping it.

Further, according to the present invention, when the adhesive tape or the like is wound around the outer periphery of the corrugated tube, and the adhesive tape is wound above the surface of the corrugated tube and wound. Even if the ribs break or press-fit the floating part of the adhesive tape, it is ensured that the ribs are fitted into the concave grooves of the corrugated tube, and the locking force between the corrugated tube and the protector is reliably ensured. Can be maintained.

Further, even if there is a slight difference in the thickness of the corrugated tube and the wire harness, it is possible to reliably protect the wire harness by the protector having a single structure according to the present invention. Further, according to the present invention, the engagement between the protector body and the protector lid constituting the protector can be reliably maintained, whereby the protection state of the wire harness by the protector can be secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a protector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of a protector according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of an embodiment of a protector according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows the ribs of the protector according to the invention,
(A) is a partial perspective view thereof, and (B) is a transverse sectional view thereof.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing positions where respective ribs are formed in the protector according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of locking means formed on the protector according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a conventional protector.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram at the time of protection by a conventional protector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Protector 22 ... Wire harness 23 ... Protector main body 24 ... Protector lid 25 ... Internal space 26 ... Corrugated tube 27 ... Adhesive tape 28 ... Convex surface 29A ... Main body convex line 29B ... Lid convex line 30 ... Concave groove 31A ... Body rib 31B Lid rib 32 Elastic locking piece 33 Locking piece 34 Locking claw

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A gutter-shaped protector body (23) provided with a body rib fitted into a concave groove of a corrugated tube (26) attached to an outer periphery of a wire harness (22).
And a protector cover (24) provided with a cover rib fitted on the outer periphery of the corrugated tube (26) in cooperation with the protector body (23) and fitted in the concave groove.
A pair of body ribs (31A) spaced at two locations in the circumferential direction are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the gutter-shaped protector body (23) in the axial direction of the protector body. A plurality of pairs are formed along the inner surface of the protector lid (24), and a plurality of pairs are formed on the inner surface of the protector lid (24) at positions corresponding to the body ribs along the axis of the protector lid. Lid rib (31B)
And two main body ribs (3) spaced in the circumferential direction of an inner space (25) for holding a wire harness formed when the protector lid is put on the protector body.
1A) and one lid rib (31B) are positioned such that the circumferential positional relationship between them is equal to 120 degrees, and furthermore, the main body rib (31A) and the lid rib (31B).
Of the protector body (23) and the protector lid (24) in the axial direction (YA), (YB), and gradually increases along the depth from the opening edge thereof. A wire harness protector characterized by being set. 2. A main body rib (31A) and a lid rib (31).
2. The wire harness protector according to claim 1, wherein each of the cross-sectional shapes of B) is formed in a tapered shape that tapers. 3. A protector body (23) into which the wire harness (22) is inserted, and the wire harness (22) is locked by the protector body (23) and protects the wire harness (22) in cooperation with the protector body (23). And a locking claw (3) attached to one of the protector body (23) and the protector lid (24).
4) and a locking means provided with a locking piece (33) for locking the locking claw (34) on one of the other sides. When the locking claw (34) is locked and the protector cover (24) is attached to the protector body (23), the protector body (23) and the protector cover (24) When an external force is applied in a direction in which the locking pieces (33) are separated from each other, an elastic locking piece (32) that generates a component force in a direction to increase the locking force is applied to the locking claw (34). ) A wire harness protector characterized in that: