JP2009273301A - Protector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect a wire harness while compacting the type of the packing of the wire harness. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of protector units 5A, 5B, 5C, ..., are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the wire harness 3. The mutually adjacent protector units are connected mutually by connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C, ..., for each protector unit 5A, 5B, 5C, ..., and assembled to a car or the like. The connecting member 7A for the protector unit 5A is connected to the protector unit 5B and a superposed state is maintained when the wire harness 3 is bent to meander among the mutual protector units 5A, 5B, 5C, ..., and the protector units 5A, 5B, 5C are superimposed successively and a type of packing is formed. The protector units 5B and 5C are connected mutually detachably by a detachable connecting section 36m consisting of fitting holes 33 and fitting projections 35, and the fitting holes 33 are formed in rupture sections 37 with brittle sections and the rupture sections 37 are broken, by pulling the fitting projections 35. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a protector for protecting a flexible linear member.

As a protector that protects a wire harness that is a flexible linear member, a protector that can be bent by connecting a plurality of protector units through a joint is known (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). .
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-86021

  However, in the above-described conventional wire harness protector, although the wire harness can be bent at the joint portion, for example, as it is simply bent, it is difficult to be compactly packed. Becomes larger and causes inconvenience in handling.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a protector capable of compactly packing the package shape of a flexible linear member.

  The present invention provides a plurality of protector unit bodies that are arranged along the length direction of the flexible linear member and surround the periphery of the flexible linear member, and one of two protector unit bodies adjacent to each other. A connecting member that is rotatably attached at one end and is detachably connected to the other, and connects the two protector units adjacent to each other by the connecting member.

  According to the present invention, the connecting member that connects two protector units adjacent to each other can be rotated via the end on the one protector unit side, so that the connecting member can be rotated together with the other protector unit body. The two protector units adjacent to each other can be overlapped with each other, so that the packing form becomes compact and handling is improved. Moreover, a flexible linear member can be bent and used by rotating a connection member relatively with respect to one protector unit body with the other protector unit body.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a wire harness protector 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention together with a wire harness 3 as a flexible linear member, and FIG. 2 is a diagram before the wire harness 3 is attached to a vehicle. It is a front view which shows a package form. The wire harness protector 1 includes a plurality of hollow rectangular protector units 5A, 5B, 5C,... Arranged along the length direction of the wire harness 3, and the protector units 5A, 5B, 5C,. Connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C. The wire harness 3 is inserted into the plurality of protector units 5A, 5B, 5C,.

  Each of these protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C... Is a hollow member that is open at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped and has almost the same shape. Therefore, each of these protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C. .. Are described with the same reference numerals, and each of the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,... Has substantially the same shape, so that each of the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C. Parts are also described with the same reference numerals.

  Each of the above-described protector units 5A, 5B, 5C... Includes a first surface 9 as one side surface located in the upper part in FIG. 1 and a second surface 11 as the other side surface opposite to the first surface 9. The left and right third surfaces 13 and the fourth surface 15 that connect both side edges in the width direction of the first surface 9 and the second surface 11 are provided.

  Each of the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C... Is open at both ends in the longitudinal direction, but the opening portions may be closed by end plates. In this case, the end plate is provided with a through hole into which the wire harness 3 is movably inserted.

  On the other hand, the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,... Are rotatable with respect to one end portion of the first surface 9 via the rotation support portion 17, and a flat plate continuous to the rotation support portion 17. The portion 19 and left and right side plate portions 21 and 23 extending at right angles from both side edges in the width direction of the flat plate portion 19 are provided, and are substantially U-shaped.

  And the dimension between the inner walls of the side plates 21 and 23 in the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C... Is between the outer walls of the third surface 13 and the fourth surface 15 of the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C. The size is almost the same as or slightly larger. For this reason, the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,..., As shown by the connecting member 7B of the protector unit 5B in FIG. 1, approach the ends of the protector units 5A, 5B, 5C,. In this state, it is possible to connect to other adjacent protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C... From the first surface 9 side.

  At this time, as shown by the connecting member 7B and the protector unit 5A in FIG. 1, the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C... Are connected to the other protector units 5A, 5B, 5C. Cover the first surface 9 so as to be in contact with it, and make the side plate portions 21 and 23 contact the third surface 13 and the fourth surface 15 of the other protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C. Will cover. That is, the third surface 13 and the fourth surface 15 of the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C... Are sandwiched from both sides by the pair of side plate portions 21 and 23 of the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C.

  Here, at approximately the center position of the side plates 21 and 23 of the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C..., Connecting protrusions 25 and 27 are provided that protrude toward opposite sides, while the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B,. Connection holes 29 and 31 into which the connection protrusions 25 and 27 are inserted are provided on the third surface 13 and the fourth surface 15 of 5C. Therefore, by connecting and fixing the connecting protrusions 25 and 27 to the connecting holes 29 and 31 of the other adjacent protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C..., The protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C. , Can be sequentially connected by corresponding connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C. That is, the two protector units 5A, 5B, 5C,... Adjacent to each other are connected to each other by the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,.

  Here, as described above, the protector units 5A, 5B, 5C... Are connected to each other by the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C. ...... When bent at 180 degrees alternately in opposite directions and meandering, the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C adjacent to each other are overlapped as shown in FIG. Can do.

  For example, between the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B, as shown in FIG. 1, the connecting member 7B of the protector unit body 5B is connected to the protector unit body 5A. From this state, the protector unit body 5B is moved to the arrow P. As shown in FIG. 2, the protector unit bodies 5 </ b> A and 5 </ b> B are overlapped with each other so that the first surfaces 9 face each other. It will be. At this time, the first surfaces 9 of the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B are separated from each other by the thickness of the flat plate portion 19 because the flat plate portions 19 of the connecting members 7A and 7B exist between them.

  At this time, the wire harness 3 is merely inserted in the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C... And can be moved, so that as shown in FIG. Between 5B, the bent part 3a bent in a substantially semicircular shape is formed and exposed to the outside.

  Further, the connecting member 7A of the protector unit body 5A is rotated through the rotation support portion 17 as shown in FIG. 2, and the flat plate portion 19 is brought into contact with the first surface 9 of its own protector unit body 5A. Then, the connecting protrusions 25 and 27 of the connecting member 7A are inserted and fixed in the connecting holes 29 and 31 of the protector unit 5B. As a result, the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B are held by the connecting member 7A in a state where they are overlapped with each other.

  In FIG. 2, the protector unit body 5C is further superimposed on the upper part of the protector unit body 5B opposite to the protector unit body 5A by bending the wire harness 3 at the bent portion 3a. At this time, the second surfaces 11 of the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C come into contact with each other, and the coupling structure between the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C at that time will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the portion Q shown in FIG. 2 taken out. The second surface 11 of the protector unit 5B is inserted into the fitting hole 33 provided in the second surface 11 of the protector unit 5C. The fitting projection 35 provided on the fitting projection 35 is fitted, and the fitting hole 33 and the fitting projection 35 constitute a detachable connecting portion 36.

  The fitting hole 33 is circular and is formed at substantially the center of the breakage portion 37 formed on the second surface 11 of the protector unit body 5C. The fracture portion 37 is a region that is partitioned into a substantially square shape with respect to the general portion 11 a of the second surface 11, and is integrated with the general portion 11 a via the weak portion 39 on two opposite sides of the square. The fragile portion 39 has a groove 41 cut out in a V shape from the protector unit body 5B side.

  On the other hand, two opposing sides different from the fragile portion 39 in the square of the fracture portion 37 are separated from the general portion 11a. That is, the fracture portion 37 is integrated with the general portion 11 a of the second surface 11 via the two weak portions 39.

  Further, an inner fragile portion 43 is provided at a central position between the two fragile portions 39 of the fracture portion 37. The inner fragile portion 43 is formed with a V-shaped groove 45 on the surface opposite to the groove 41 of the fragile portion 39 described above. The groove 45 is formed over the entire length of the fractured portion 37 in parallel with the groove 41, and thus the fitting hole 33 is formed at the center of the groove 45.

  The strength of the inner weak portion 43 is set lower than the strength of the weak portion 39.

  On the other hand, the fitting protrusion 35 is provided at the shaft portion 47 inserted and arranged in the fitting hole 33 at the time of fitting, and at the tip of the shaft portion 47, and fitted with the shaft portion 47 inserted and arranged in the fitting hole 33. An elastically deformable locking portion 49 that locks and is positioned in front of the joint hole 33 is provided.

  The engaging portion 49 is formed in an umbrella shape having a pair of inclined portions 51 whose distal end portions 51 a are abutted with each other and whose proximal end portion 51 b is located on the side away from the shaft portion 47, and the fitting hole 33 and the fitting protrusion 49 In the state where 35 is fitted, the base end portion 51 b of the inclined portion 51 is locked on the fracture portion 37 between the fragile portion 39 and the inner fragile portion 43.

  When the fitting protrusion 35 is fitted into the fitting hole 33, the base end portion 51 b of the umbrella-shaped inclined portion 51 is connected to the shaft portion 47 when the locking portion 49 passes through the fitting hole 33. It is elastically deformed so as to be displaced to the side, and after passing through the fitting hole 33, it is restored to the locked state shown in FIG.

  The strength of the fragile portion 39 and the inner fragile portion 43 is such that it is not broken by the load applied to the breakage portion 37 during the fitting operation of the fitting protrusion 35 into the fitting hole 33.

  In addition to the Q portion of FIG. 2, the detachable connecting portion 36 including the fitting hole 33 and the fitting protrusion 35 is provided at a plurality of locations (a total of four locations in the present embodiment). However, the detachable connecting portion 36 adjacent to the right side of the Q portion in FIG. 2 is opposite to the detachable connecting portion 36 of the Q portion, with the fitting protrusion 35 on the protector unit body 5C side and the fitting hole 33 on the protector unit body. Each is set on the 5B side.

  Such a combination of the detachable connecting portion 36 of the Q portion and the detachable connecting portion 36 adjacent thereto is also set in the vicinity of the right end portion in FIG. 2, whereby the fitting hole 33 and the fitting protrusion 35 are formed. Four attachment / detachment connecting portions 36 are formed in total.

  Here, if the three protector units 5A, 5B and 5C overlapped with each other shown in FIG. 2 are defined as one unit, the lower two protector units 5A and 5B in FIG. While being connected to each other by the connecting member 7B of the unit body 5B, the state of being superposed on each other is maintained by the connecting member 7A of the protector unit body 5A. On the other hand, the upper two protector units 5B and 5C in FIG. 2 are maintained in a state of being overlapped with each other by the four attachment / detachment connecting portions 36.

  Therefore, the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C... Are rotatably attached to the end of the first surface 9 which is one side surface of the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C. When the two protector units adjacent to each other are provided on the second surface 11 which is the other side opposite to the first surface 9 provided with the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C. The overlapping portion R where the first surfaces 9 are overlapped is connected to another protector unit 5B in a state where the connecting member 7A is in contact with the first surface 9 of the protector unit 5A to which the connecting member 7A is attached. Will be.

  Further, in a state where the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,... Are connected to the adjacent protector unit bodies, the wire harnesses 3 positioned between the adjacent protector unit bodies are bent, and the adjacent protector unit bodies 5A. , 5B, 5C... Is provided with an attachment / detachment connecting portion 36 for detachably connecting the protector unit bodies 5B, 5C to each other.

  As described above, the protector 1 for a wire harness according to this embodiment is overlapped so that the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C,... Are sequentially folded in the opposite direction so that the wire harness 3 meanders as shown in FIG. By combining them, the packing form becomes compact and the handling property is improved, for example, it can be efficiently accommodated in a parts box.

  At this time, in the present embodiment, another protector unit body in a state where the wire harness 3 is further inserted is continuously superposed on one unit composed of the three protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C shown in FIG. be able to. That is, on the uppermost protector unit body 5C in FIG. 2, the protector unit body 5C corresponds to the protector unit body 5A shown in FIG. 2, and thus another protector unit body (not shown) similar to the protector unit body 5B. Will be superimposed.

  Therefore, a protector unit (not shown) similar to the protector unit 5C shown in FIG. 2 is further superimposed on the protector unit (not shown). Thereafter, this superposition operation can be repeated in the same manner.

  Next, the operation | work at the time of using the wire harness 3 provided with the protector 1 for this wire harness from the packing state of the state piled up as mentioned above by attaching to a vehicle which is not shown in figure etc. is demonstrated.

  First, in one unit shown in FIG. 2, for the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B, the connection of the connecting member 7A to the protector unit body 5A is released. That is, the side plate portions 21 and 23 of the connecting member 7A are elastically deformed so as to be separated from the third surface 13 and the fourth surface 15 of the protector unit body 5B, thereby connecting the connecting protrusions 25 and 27 of the connecting member 7A to the protector. What is necessary is just to remove from the connection holes 29 and 31 of the unit body 5B. Thereby, the connection for maintaining the superimposed state of the protector unit body 5A and the protector unit body 5B is released.

  On the other hand, in one unit shown in FIG. 2, the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C are damaged by breaking the left-side end portions in FIG.

  That is, when a force is applied in the direction in which the second surfaces 11 of the protector units 5B and 5C are separated in the vertical direction in FIG. 3 from the connected state of FIG. Since it is locked to the breakage portion 37, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the inner weak portion 45 having the lower strength is first broken and separated, and the inner weak portion 45 of the breakage portion 37 is broken. It will be in the state inclined with respect to the 2nd surface 11 so that the side may approach the protector unit body 5B.

  When a force is further applied in the above-described pulling direction, the two weak portions 39 are broken as shown in FIG. 3C, so that the broken portion 37 is separated from the general portion 11 a of the second surface 11. Thus, by performing this separation work for all four places, the fitting for maintaining the state where the protector unit body 5B and the protector unit body 5C are overlapped is released.

  In this way, release of the connection for maintaining the overlapped state of the protector units 5A and 5B and release of the fitting for maintaining the overlapped state of the protector units 5B and 5C are performed. After that, the wire harness 3 is made linear as shown in FIG. 1 by extending the bent portion 3a.

  At this time, the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B are connected to each other by the connecting member 7B of the protector unit body 5B, but the connecting member 7C of the protector unit body 5C is not connected to the protector unit body 5B. Therefore, after the end portions of the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C are brought close to each other, the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C are rotated via the rotation support portion 17 so that the connection protrusions 25 and 27 are fitted into the connection holes 29 and 31 of the protector unit body 5B. Connect them together.

  As a result, when viewed with respect to the one unit, the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C are connected to each other by the connecting members 7B, 7C to become the integrated wire harness protector 1, and the wire harness when assembled to a vehicle or the like. 3 protection.

  In addition, when there is a bent part that bends at the assembly position when assembled to a vehicle or the like, the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,... It can be installed correspondingly. As the bending direction at that time, when it is a direction in which the ends of the second surface 11 are separated from each other, it can be easily bent, but when it is a direction in which the ends of the second surface 11 are close to each other, As shown in FIG. 1, the protector unit bodies 5 </ b> A and 5 </ b> B are connected to each other, and the gap S between them is fan-shaped so that the lower side in FIG. Thus, bending work can be easily performed.

  Further, since the fitting protrusion 35 that has been broken and removed from the fitting hole 33 in the detachable connecting portion 36 remains without being broken, it is assembled to a vehicle or the like using the remaining fitting protrusion 35. Also good. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the wire harness protector 1 with a separate dedicated mounting portion on the other side, such as a vehicle, so that the structure of the wire harness protector 1 can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  Further, in this embodiment, the detachable connecting portion 36 is provided so that the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C,... It is only necessary to release the connection, and the transition from the packaged state to the assembled state to the vehicle can be facilitated.

  At this time, the detachable connecting portion 36 can have a simple configuration including the fitting hole 33 and the fitting protrusion 35 fitted into the fitting hole 33.

  Further, by applying a force in the direction of simply separating the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C adjacent to each other, the locking portion 49 of the fitting protrusion 35 causes the breaking portion 37 to be separated from the general portion 11a, thereby breaking the fragile portion 39. Therefore, the connected state of the detachable connecting portion 36 can be released by an extremely simple operation without using a tool or the like, and the handleability is excellent.

  At that time, by setting the strength of the inner weak portion 43 to be lower than the strength of the two weak portions 39, the inner weak portion 43 having a lower strength is first broken in the above-described separation operation, and then the weak portion 39 Therefore, the connection state of the detachable connecting portion 36 can be easily released without leaving the rupture portion 37 in the general portion 11a without requiring a large force.

  Further, the locking portion 49 of the fitting protrusion 35 is formed in an umbrella shape having a pair of inclined portions 51 whose distal end portions 51 a are abutted with each other and the proximal end portion 51 b is located on the side away from the shaft portion 47. Since the base end part 51b of the inclined part 51 is latched on the fracture | rupture part 27, a package state can be maintained more reliably.

  In this embodiment, the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C,... Are rotatably attached to the end of the first surface 9, which is one side of the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C,. The part 36 is provided on the second surface 11 which is the other side opposite to the first surface 9 provided with the connecting members 7A, 7B, 7C... And the two protector units adjacent to each other overlap each other. When combined, the overlapping portion R where the first surfaces 9 are overlapped with each other is in a state where the connecting member 7A is in contact with the first surface 9 of the protector unit 5A to which the connecting member 7A is attached. It is assumed that it is connected to 5B.

  Thus, the superposed state of the protector unit bodies 5B and 5C is maintained by the dedicated detachable connecting portion 36, and at the same time, the superposed state of the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B is assembled to a vehicle or the like. Sometimes the protector unit bodies 5A, 5B, 5C... Can be used with the connecting member 7A for connecting each other, so that it is not necessary to provide a dedicated member for maintaining the above superposed state, and the structure is simplified. it can.

  In addition, you may set the attachment / detachment connection part 36 which has the fitting hole 33 and the fitting protrusion 35 between the protector unit bodies 5A and 5B in FIG.

  In the above-described embodiment, the wire harness used in the vehicle is described as an example of the flexible linear member. However, the present invention is not limited to the wire harness but can be applied to various electric wires.

It is a perspective view which shows the protector for wire harnesses which shows one Embodiment of this invention with a wire harness. It is a front view which shows the package before attaching a wire harness to a vehicle. (A) is a perspective view of the detachable connecting part for maintaining the overlapping state of the protector units, and (b) and (c) are the steps for releasing the connected state of the detachable connecting part in (a). It is explanatory drawing demonstrated later.

Explanation of symbols

1 Wire harness protector 3 Wire harness (flexible linear member)
11a General part of protector unit body 5A, 5B, 5C ... Protector unit body 7A, 7B, 7C ... Connecting member 9 First surface (one side surface of protector unit body)
11 Second surface (the other side of the protector unit)
33 Fitting hole of the detachable connecting portion 35 Fitting protrusion of the detachable connecting portion 36 Removable connecting portion 37 Breaking portion 39 Fragile portion 43 Inner fragile portion 47 Shaft portion of the fitting protrusion 49 Locking portion of the fitting protrusion 51 Locking portion Inclined portion 51a Inclined tip 51b Inclined proximal end

Claims (7)

  A protector that protects the flexible linear member, and a plurality of protector units that are arranged along the length direction of the flexible linear member and surround the flexible linear member, and adjacent to each other One of the two protector units is attached to one end of the protector unit so as to be pivotable and detachably connected to the other, and the two protector units adjacent to each other are connected to each other by the connecting member. A protector characterized by connecting the two.   In a state where the connecting member is connected to the other protector unit body, the flexible linear members positioned between the adjacent protector unit bodies are bent to overlap the adjacent protector unit bodies. The protector according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment / detachment connecting portion for detachably connecting the protector units.   The protector according to claim 2, wherein the detachable connecting portion includes a fitting hole and a fitting protrusion that fits into the fitting hole.   The fitting protrusion is provided at a shaft portion into which the fitting hole is inserted and disposed at a tip of the shaft portion, and is positioned in front of the fitting hole in a state where the shaft portion is inserted and arranged in the fitting hole. And the fitting hole is provided in a break portion integrated with a general portion of the protector unit body via a weak portion, and the two overlapped portions. The protector according to claim 3, wherein when the two protector units are separated from each other, the fragile portion is broken and the broken portion is separated from a general portion of the protector unit.   The protector according to claim 4, wherein an inner fragile portion continuous to the fitting hole is provided in the fracture portion, and the strength of the inner fragile portion is set lower than the strength of the fragile portion.   The locking portion is formed in an umbrella shape having a pair of inclined portions whose distal end portions are abutted with each other and a proximal end portion is located on a side away from the shaft portion, and the proximal end portion of the inclined portion is the fracture portion The protector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the protector is locked on the part.   The connecting member is rotatably attached to an end of one side surface of the protector unit, and the detachable connecting portion is provided on the other side opposite to the one side on which the connecting member is provided. When two adjacent protector units are overlapped with each other, the overlapping portion where the one side surfaces are overlapped is a state where the connecting member is in contact with the one side surface of the protector unit to which the connecting member is attached. The protector according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the protector is connected to another adjacent protector unit.

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