JP2010246253A - Harness exterior member - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To flexibly bend a harness exterior member in a thickness direction, to easily assemble a flat harness of a plurality of layers, and to flexibly bend it to a direction except for the thickness direction. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of slits 4 and 26 in a plate width direction are arranged in a plate part longitudinal direction of flexible and rectangular plate parts 2 and 22 in parallel. Flexible parts 3, 23 and 25 holding the wire harnesses 11 and 35 are integrally formed on both sides in the plate width direction of the plate parts. The wire harness can be assembled in the plate part thickness direction in a state where at least one flexible part 3 or 25 is opened in the harness exterior members 1 and 21. The flexible part is the guide part 3 formed of a support plate 7 crossing the plate part 2 and of a brim plate 8 crossing the support plate. A plurality of second slits 6 are formed at an end of the brim plate from the support plate. The two plate parts 22 are arranged in parallel. One flexible part is set to be the bending plate part 23 and the other flexible part is constituted of a bending plate part 24 and the coupling part 25. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a flexible harness exterior member that is extruded with a synthetic resin or an elastomer material to insert and protect a wire harness in a flat shape.

  16 (a) and 16 (b) show one form of a conventional harness exterior member (see Patent Document 1).

  The harness exterior member 51 is made of synthetic resin or elastomer as a material, and has a flexible horizontally long substrate portion 52, hinge portions 53 on both sides in the width direction of the substrate portion 52, and the substrate portion 52 via each hinge portion 53. It is composed of a pair of left and right flexible cover plates 54 and 55 that can be freely opened and closed.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, the flat harness 56 is disposed on the substrate portion 52, and the left and right cover plates 54 and 55 are closed as shown in FIG. The flat harness 56 is sandwiched and fixed between them to protect against interference with the outside.

  The harness exterior member 51 is continuously formed by extrusion molding of a thermoplastic synthetic resin material or elastomer material, and is used after being cut to a required length. For example, the hinge portion 53 is two-color molded with a material that is more flexible than the other plate portions 52, 54, and 55.

  The harness assembly including the harness exterior member 51 and the flat harness 56 is, for example, bent and arranged in a substantially U-shape in the plate thickness direction between the slide door of the automobile and the vehicle body. Is always powered.

  FIG. 17 shows another form of a conventional harness exterior member (see Patent Document 2).

  This harness exterior member 61 is made of a synthetic resin as a material, and includes a flexible horizontally long board portion 62, side plate portions 63 erected on both sides in the width direction of the board portion 62, and a plurality of side plate portions 63 formed on the side plate portion 63. It is composed of a plurality of V-shaped and rectangular cutout grooves 64 and 65.

  A plurality of flat harnesses 66 and a protective sheet 67 are disposed in a space surrounded by the substrate portion 62 and the side plate portions 63, and are fixed to each rectangular groove 65 by tape winding 68 or band fastening. . The substrate portion 62 can be bent together with the flat harness 66 in the plate thickness direction in each V-shaped groove 64. The grooves 64 and 65 are notched after the extrusion of the resin material, and the harness exterior member 61 is applied to power supply to a sliding door of an automobile as in the conventional example of FIG.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-149871 (FIG. 2) JP 2007-124721 A (FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional harness exterior member 51 of FIG. 16 described above, the hinge part 53 is formed in two colors with a flexible material different from the other plate parts 52, 54, 55, which increases the cost. Concerns and bends in the thickness direction with the three flexible plate portions 52, 54, and 55 being overlapped, so that the bendability is lowered, and a plurality of flat harnesses 56 are stacked and bent simultaneously. There was concern that this would be difficult. Further, there is a concern that it takes time to fold the two cover plate portions 54 and 55 and press the flat harness 56 after the flat harness 56 is arranged on the substrate portion 52, or the three plate portions 52 and 54. , 55 cannot be flexibly bent in a direction other than the thickness direction in a state where they are stacked.

  Further, in the conventional harness exterior member 61 of FIG. 17 described above, although the number of circuits can be increased by overlapping a plurality of flat harnesses 66, the plurality of flat harnesses 66 are attached to a plurality of tape windings 68 or There was a concern that it would be necessary to prevent dropping by tightening the band, and that the work would require a lot of man-hours. Further, there is a concern that a large force is required to bend the substrate portion 62 in the thickness direction together with the plurality of flat harnesses 66. Further, there is a concern that it is difficult to bend in directions other than the harness thickness direction by the side plate portions 63 orthogonal to the substrate portion 62.

  In view of the above points, the present invention can be flexibly bent in the thickness direction without changing the hardness of the material at the time of extrusion molding and performing two-color molding, and can easily assemble a multi-layer flat harness. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a harness exterior member that can be flexibly bent in directions other than the thickness direction.

  In order to achieve the above object, a harness exterior member according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a plurality of slits in the plate width direction arranged in parallel in the plate portion longitudinal direction on a flexible long plate portion, A flexible part that holds the wire harness is integrally formed on both sides of the board part in the board width direction, and the wire harness can be assembled in the board part thickness direction with the flexible part at least one side opened. It is characterized by being.

  With the above-described configuration, the plurality of slits impart good flexibility in the plate thickness direction to the long plate portion, and the plate portion can be bent in the plate thickness direction together with the wire harness. The flexible portions on both sides of the plate portion bend flexibly together with the plate portion. A plurality of flat harnesses can be accommodated between the flexible portions on both sides along the plate portion. Since the portions on both sides in the width direction of the plate portion are flexible, the plate portion can be flexibly bent in directions other than the plate thickness direction (plate width direction and twist direction) by synergistic action with the slits. The wire harness can be easily assembled by bending one flexible part, for example, and opening it outward, or by opening the other flexible part as a fulcrum in a hinged manner. The harness exterior member can be extruded using a single type of synthetic resin material or elastomer material.

  The harness exterior member according to claim 2 is the harness exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the flexible portion includes a support plate that intersects the plate portion and a gutter plate that intersects the support plate. A plurality of second slits in the plate width direction are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the guide portion from the support plate to the tip of the flange plate.

  With the above configuration, the support plate and the gutter plate form a guide portion bent in a substantially L-shaped cross section, and a plurality of flat harnesses are stably held between the guide portions without falling off. The flat harness can be easily assembled and detached by opening the guide portion by bending it outward. The flexibility (flexibility) of both guide parts is enhanced by the plurality of second slits, and the synergistic action of the slits (first slits) of the plate part and the second slits of the guide part, particularly in the thickness direction of the plate part Increased flexibility. Flexibility in the plate width direction and torsional direction is also improved.

  The harness exterior member according to claim 3 is the harness exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the slit on the plate portion side is extended to the support plate, and the extended slit and the second slit are in the longitudinal direction of the support plate. It is characterized by being alternately arranged in the direction.

  With the above configuration, the plate portion is completely divided by the extended slit, the flexibility in the thickness direction of the plate portion is increased, and the synergistic action of the slit of the plate portion and the second slit of the guide portion, the harness exterior member As the plate portion thickness direction, the flexibility in both the plate portion surface direction and the plate portion back surface direction is improved, and the plate portion width direction and the torsion direction bendability are also improved.

  The harness exterior member according to claim 4 is the harness exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the ribs are arranged in a staggered manner in the guide portion longitudinal direction between the second slits in the guide portions on both sides. Features.

  With the above configuration, the number of the saddle plates is reduced by half, and the work of assembling the flat harness by opening (turning) the saddle plates outward is facilitated. Since the slats are alternately staggered at the two guide portions, the flat harness is highly resistant to falling off.

  The harness exterior member according to claim 5 is the harness exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the plate portion is formed in an outward curved shape in a cross-sectional view from one of the guide portions to the other guide portion. Features.

  With the above configuration, the outward bending shape of the plate portion increases the rigidity against outward bending, the outward bending (surface direction) of the thickness direction of the plate portion is suppressed (regulated), and the plate portion faces inward. It can be flexibly bent only in the (reverse direction).

  The harness exterior member according to claim 6 is the harness exterior member according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that a circular hole continuing from an end of the second slit is provided in the support plate. To do.

  With the above configuration, the flexibility (flexibility) of the support plate is enhanced by the plurality of parallel circular holes, and the flexibility of the harness exterior member in the thickness direction, width direction, and twist direction is improved.

  A harness exterior member according to a seventh aspect is the harness exterior member according to the sixth aspect, wherein a taper-shaped widened portion is formed at the end of the second slit, and the plate is moved by closing the widened portion. The bending of the part is restricted.

  With the above configuration, the expansion portion is closed at the time of bending in the thickness direction of the plate portion, and both inner surfaces of the expansion portion are brought into contact with each other, whereby further bending is suppressed and the bending radius of the plate portion is restricted. If the opening angle of the expanded portion, that is, the distance between both inner surfaces of the expanded portion is set small, the plate portion is bent with a large bending radius, and if the opening angle is set large, the plate portion is bent with a small bending radius.

  The harness exterior member according to claim 8 is the harness exterior member according to claim 1, wherein the two plate portions are arranged in parallel, and the flexible portions are provided on both sides in the plate width direction of the two plate portions. Are arranged integrally, and one of the flexible portions is a curved plate portion, and the other flexible portion is formed of a curved plate portion and a connecting portion. A wire harness can be assembled.

  With the above configuration, in the space surrounded by the two plate portions and the flexible portions on both sides, one curved plate portion and the other curved plate portion / connecting portion which are the flexible portions on both sides A plurality of flat harnesses (flat wire harnesses) are supported in the plate width direction, and the flat harnesses are supported in the plate thickness direction by two plate portions, and the flat harnesses are completely covered and protected in the circumferential direction. At the same time, the flat harness is reliably prevented from falling off. The flat harness can be easily assembled by opening the connecting portion outward. The two curved plate portions on both sides can be easily bent in the thickness direction. Since the shapes of the two plate portions and the curved plate portions on both sides are symmetrical in the plate portion thickness direction, the bending toward one plate portion and the bending toward the other plate portion are performed smoothly and uniformly. Flexibility in the plate width direction and torsional direction is enhanced by the flexible curved plate portions on both sides. The connecting portion preferably has a locking function and a locking release function. A wire harness composed of a plurality of electric wires can be used instead of the flat harness.

  The harness exterior member according to claim 9 is the harness exterior member according to claim 8, wherein the slits of the two plate portions pass from the one curved plate portion to the other curved plate portion and the tip of the connecting portion. The connecting portion is divided into a plurality of portions by the slit, and the two plate portions are connected in the longitudinal direction by the one curved plate portion.

  With the above configuration, the two plate portions and the other curved plate portion / connecting portion are integrally separated (divided) in the longitudinal direction of the plate portion by each slit, and the two plate portions are one curved plate portion. As a result, the two plate portions can be bent in the plate portion width direction by spreading each slit into a fan shape with one curved plate portion as a hinge fulcrum. Similarly, it can be bent in the twisting direction. Flexibility in both directions (front and back directions) of the plate portion thickness is also increased.

  A harness exterior member according to a tenth aspect is the harness exterior member according to the ninth aspect, characterized in that a circular hole following the end of the slit is provided in the one curved plate portion.

  With the above configuration, the flexibility (flexibility) of one curved plate portion is increased by a plurality of parallel circular holes, and the flexibility of the harness exterior member in the thickness direction, the width direction, and the twist direction is improved.

  A harness exterior member according to an eleventh aspect is the harness exterior member according to the eighth aspect, wherein the slit of the two plate portions extends around the one curved plate portion, the other curved plate portion, and the connecting portion. The center portion of any one of the plate portions is integrally connected by a connecting piece.

  With the above configuration, the two plate portions, one curved plate portion, and the other curved plate portion / connecting portion are divided in a longitudinal direction by a slit in the circumferential direction, and one plate portion is connected in the longitudinal direction by a connecting piece. Continuously, with the connecting piece as a hinge fulcrum, the other plate portion is bent outward, and each slit is expanded in a fan shape so that it can be smoothly bent to a small radius with a small force in the plate portion thickness direction. Bending in the opposite direction (bending with one plate part bent outside, that is, bending with the other plate part bent inside), the bending radius of the one plate part comes into contact with each slit end to be large ( Restricted). In addition to the thickness direction of the plate portion, the connecting piece can be bent smoothly with a small force in the width direction of the plate portion and the torsional direction using the connecting piece as a hinge fulcrum. In the width direction of the plate portion, it can be bent uniformly in both directions of the direction of one curved plate portion and the direction of the other curved plate portion / connecting portion.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the plate portion can be flexibly bent in the plate thickness direction together with the flexible portions on both sides by the action of the plurality of slits provided in the plate portion. There is no need for two-color molding of the part with a low hardness material, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Also, by opening one flexible part to the outside, multiple flat harnesses can be easily assembled in the thickness direction of the plate part. After assembly, the flat harness is removed at the flexible parts on both sides. By holding without, the conventional tape winding or the like becomes unnecessary, and the assembly man-hour of the flat harness is reduced.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, since the flexibility of the flexible portions (guide portions) on both sides is enhanced by the second slit, there is no need to perform two-color molding on both sides, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. In addition, the bendability of the harness exterior member, particularly in the thickness direction, is enhanced by a synergistic action with the slit of the plate portion, and can be used with a small bending radius in a vehicle or the like. In addition, the flat harness can be easily assembled by opening one or both guide portions to the outside, and the flat harness can be held without dropping by the guide portions on both sides after the assembly.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the harness exterior member is flexibly bent in two directions of the plate portion surface direction and the back surface direction by the synergistic action of the extended slit on the plate portion side and the slit on the guide portion side. In addition to being able to bend in the plate width direction and torsional direction, the bending stress of the harness exterior member is reduced, the bending durability is improved, and the applicable range of the harness exterior member in vehicles and the like is expanded. To do.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since the number of the saddle plates is halved, the work of opening the saddle plates outward and assembling the flat harness into the harness exterior member is facilitated.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, by suppressing the outward bending of the plate portion and bending the harness exterior member only inward, for example, it is possible to prevent interference with a vehicle or the like due to outward bending. The application range (location) of the harness exterior member to a vehicle or the like can be expanded.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, the plurality of circular holes that follow each slit of the guide portion increase the flexibility of the harness exterior member in the thickness direction, the width direction, and the torsion direction, thereby expanding the applicable range of the harness exterior member. To do.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since both inner surfaces of the expanded portion abut when the expanded portion is closed and further bending of the harness exterior member is restricted, for example, interference between the harness exterior member and the vehicle body And the reliability of power supply by the wire harness can be improved.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, since the flexibility of the flexible portions on both sides is enhanced by the curved plate portions on both sides, there is no need for two-color molding on both sides, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. The harness exterior member is particularly flexible in the thickness direction due to a synergistic action with the slits of the two plate portions, and can be used with a small bending radius in a vehicle or the like. In addition, the flat harness can be easily assembled by opening the connecting portion to the outside, and after assembly, the flat harness can be surrounded and held without dropping by the two plate portions and the flexible portions on both sides. . It can respond also to the wire harness which consists of several electric wires instead of a flat harness.

  According to the invention of claim 9, in addition to the thickness direction of the plate portion, the plate portion can be smoothly and easily bent with a small force from each slit in the plate portion width direction with one curved plate portion as a fulcrum, Moreover, it can be similarly bent in the twisting direction, and the applicable range of the harness exterior member in a vehicle or the like can be expanded.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the bendability of one curved plate portion is enhanced by the plurality of circular holes, and the bendability of the harness exterior member in the thickness direction, the width direction, and the twist direction is improved.

  According to the invention of claim 11, in addition to bending in the thickness direction of the plate portion, bending in the width direction of the plate portion and bending in the torsion direction can be smoothly and easily performed with a small force. The scope of application can be expanded.

It is a perspective view which shows the state in the middle of manufacture of 1st embodiment of the harness exterior member which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which similarly shows the completion state of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which assembled | attached the flat harness to the harness exterior member. The 1st modification of a harness exterior member is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a principal part perspective view. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd modification of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the 3rd modification of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the 4th modification of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view (circle is an enlarged view) which shows 2nd embodiment of the harness exterior member which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which similarly shows the 1st process of manufacture of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd process of manufacture of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the 3rd process of manufacture of a harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which assembled | attached the wire harness to the harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows one modification of the harness exterior member of 2nd embodiment. It is arrow E (back view) perspective view of FIG. 13 which shows a harness exterior member. It is arrow F (downward view) perspective view of FIG. 13 which shows a harness exterior member. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a manufacturing process, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a completed state, showing an embodiment of a conventional harness exterior member. It is a perspective view which shows the other form of the conventional harness exterior member.

  1 to 3 show a basic form of a first embodiment of a harness exterior member and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4 to 7 show modified examples of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the harness exterior member 1 is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin as a material, and has a flexible horizontally long board portion (long plate portion) 2, one side in the width direction of the board portion 2, and the like. And a pair of flexible guide portions 3 projecting symmetrically in a substantially L-shaped cross section on the side. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate portion 2 has a plurality of parallel long slits 4 in the width direction (vertical direction). Both guide portions 3 have a plurality of circular holes (hole portions) 5 and short slits (second slits) 6 formed from the circular holes 5 in the width direction of the substrate portion.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate portion 2 is formed in a flat plate shape, and both guide portions 3 are orthogonal to the substrate portion 2 and a support plate (narrow plate portion) 7 and the support plate 7 are orthogonal to the substrate portion 2. And a gutter plate (narrow plate portion) 8 facing in parallel. The thickness of the board | substrate part 2, the support plate 7, and the gutter plate 8 is comparable. Curved chamfering is applied to the outer surface of the intersection portion 9 between the substrate portion 2 and the support plate 7 and the outer surface of the intersection portion 10 between the support plate 7 and the gutter plate 8, and the inner surfaces of the intersection portions 9 and 10. Are orthogonal.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the two support plates 7 project in parallel with a width dimension that supports a plurality of (three in this example) flexible flat harnesses (wire harnesses) 11 in a stacked state. A laterally long gap 12 is formed between both side plates 8 and protrudes inward with a width dimension substantially the same as that of the support plate 7. A harness housing space 13 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is configured by being surrounded by both end portions in the width direction of the substrate portion 2 in FIG. Both guide portions 3 act as flexible portions that hold the flat harness 11. Flat harness is an abbreviation for flat wire harness.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer surface of the flat harness 11 ₁ on one side is in contact with the inner surface of the substrate portion 2, both side ends 11 a of each flat harness 11 are in contact with the inner surfaces of both support plates 7, and the outer surface of the flat harness 11 ₂ on the other side. Are in contact with the inner surfaces of both side plates 8, and a plurality of flat harnesses 11 are stably held. A little between the other side of the flat harness 11 ₂ of the outer surface and the inner surface of both the flange plate 8 (degree flat harness 11 does not fall off) may be a gap.

  The assembly work of the flat harness 11 to the harness exterior member 1 is performed, for example, in a state where one or both guide portions 3 are opened outward against the restoring force (the support plate 8 is removed with the intersection portion 9 as a fulcrum). In a state where the warp is deformed and inclined, and the gap 12 between the ribs 8 is larger than the width of the flat harness 11), the plurality of laminated flat harnesses 11 are passed through the gap 12 in the thickness direction of the board 2. It can be done easily by inserting it inside the box.

  Although it is possible to insert the laminated flat harnesses 11 from the opening of one end (front end) of the harness exterior member 1 along the board portion 2, the insertion tip of the flat harness 11 is caught by the slit 4 or the like, which is troublesome. Yes (especially when the harness exterior member 1 is long).

  The harness exterior member 1 is formed by continuously extruding a base material composed of the straight substrate portion 2 and the L-shaped guide portions 8 on both sides in FIG. 1 with an extrusion molding machine (not shown). 2 to obtain the exterior member main body 1 ′ (the length in FIG. 1 is merely an example), and preferably in a state where the slit 4 in FIG. 6 and the circular hole 5 are notched by a punch and a die of a press molding machine (not shown), and elastically restored from the developed state to the bent form of FIG.

  Extrusion molding can be performed at a low cost without forming two colors with the same material. The plate thickness of each plate part 2, 7, 8 is set to about 1 mm, for example, and exhibits good flexibility. When the harness exterior member 1 is formed of an elastic elastomer material in place of the synthetic resin material, the thickness of the harness exterior member is increased as compared with the synthetic resin material to enhance the harness supportability.

  Each slit 4 of the substrate part 2 has a semicircular starting end 4a and a terminal end 4a at a position slightly away from the inner surface of each supporting plate 7 (in the vicinity of the supporting plate 7), and is orthogonal to both supporting plates 7. It is formed straight in the direction, that is, the substrate width direction (vertical direction) and parallel to the substrate portion longitudinal direction (front-rear response). In this example, the interval (pitch) between the slits 4 is set shorter than the length of the slits 4, the lengths of the slits 4 are the same, and the inner width of the slits 4 is approximately the same as the thickness of the substrate portion 2. .

  A circular hole 5 is provided at the center in the width direction of each support plate 7 at the intermediate position in the width direction of each slit 4 of the substrate portion 2 (between the slits), and the slit 6 extends in the radial direction from the center of the circular hole 5. And extending to the front end of the flange plate 8 through the intersection 10 between the flange plate 8 and the flange plate 8 (the slit portion on the support plate side is denoted by reference numeral 6a, the slit portion on the flange plate side is denoted by reference numeral 6b), The plate 8 is divided into a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction by slits 6. The inner diameter of the circular hole 5 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the inner width of the support plate 7. The inner width of the slit 6 is about the same as the inner width of the slit 4 on the substrate portion side. The slits 6 on the guide part side are alternately arranged in a staggered manner in the harness longitudinal direction with respect to the slits 4 on the board part side.

  The harness exterior member 1 of FIG. 3 and a plurality of stacked flat harnesses 11 constitute a harness assembly 14. Actually, the terminal portion of the flat harness 11 protrudes from the front and rear ends of the harness exterior member 1 and is connected to a counterpart (not shown) such as a vehicle. With the slit 4 on the board part side and the slit 6 on the guide part side located on both sides in the thickness direction of the harness exterior member 1, the harness exterior member 1 together with the flat harness 11 in the thickness direction, that is, on the board part 2 side and the side plate 8 side. Flexible in both directions (horizontal direction). The bendability in the horizontal direction is also enhanced by the circular holes 5 of the guide portions 3 on both the upper and lower sides. Since the circular hole 5 continues to the slit 6 on the side of the board, and does not continue to the slit 4 on the side of the substrate part, it is rather flexible to the side of the board 8 and the It is preferable to bend the substrate portion 2 as the outside.

  By forming the gaps (pitch) between the slits 4 and 6 and the circular holes 5 narrow (the circular holes 5 are arranged at the same positions as the short slits 6), the flexibility of the harness exterior member 1 is increased (small bending). On the other hand, it is possible to regulate the bending radius (so as not to be bent any more) by widening the interval between the slits 4 and 6 and the circular hole 5.

  The restriction of the bending radius is, for example, when the harness exterior member 1 and the flat harness 11 are extended longer in the longitudinal direction than in FIG. 3 and are routed between the vehicle body of the automobile and a slide door (not shown). (The board portion 2 is arranged vertically and the upper and lower support plates 7 are arranged horizontally), which is useful for preventing interference with the vehicle body due to excessive bending of the harness exterior member 1.

  Not only in the thickness direction, the harness exterior member 1 is also arranged in the harness thickness direction (vertical direction) in the harness thickness direction (vertical direction) by the circular holes 5 in the upper and lower support plates 7 and the slits 6 in the flange plate 8 following the circular holes 5. Although not as high as (horizontal direction), it is flexible to some extent. Further, the harness exterior member 1 can be bent in the torsional direction by the slits 4 of the substrate portion 2, the circular holes 5 of both support plates 7, and the slits 6 of both side plates 8 following the circular holes 5. .

  Flexibility in these directions (vertical direction and torsional direction) can be appropriately set by changing the pitch of the slits 4 and 6 and the circular holes 5. For example, a rectangular or triangular hole (not shown) may be provided in place of the circular hole 5, but the flexibility cannot be denied. The circular hole 5 also prevents the support plate 7 from cracking from the start (end) of the slit 6.

  The flat harness 11 is formed by, for example, arranging a plurality of thin or thin conductors such as copper foil in parallel on the surface of a flexible and insulating belt-like sheet and sandwiching them with an insulating film, or in the insulating sheet. It is a well-known one in which a plurality of narrow or thin conductors are embedded in parallel.

  By laminating and using a plurality of flat harnesses 11 (the laminated flat harnesses 11 have good flexibility in the thickness direction and the torsional direction), it is possible to cope with connection of multiple circuits. When only one flat harness 11 is used instead of a plurality, the support plate 7 can be formed narrow and the circular hole 5 can be omitted.

  Extrusion molding is an existing process in which a heat-softened resin material or elastomer material is continuously extruded from a hole (not shown) consisting of a straight slit hole in a die and a substantially L-shaped symmetrical slit hole on both sides thereof. It is. The substrate portion 2 is formed with straight slit holes, and the guide portion 3 is formed with L-shaped slit holes on both sides.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the slits 4 on the substrate part side and the slits 6 on the guide part side are alternately arranged, and both the slits 4 and 6 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the substrate part. Although unexpected communication (cutting) is prevented, if the distance between the slits 4 and 6 is secured at the intersection 9, both slits 4 and 6 can be arranged on the same vertical surface. Further, it is possible to eliminate the slit 6 and the circular hole 5 of the guide portion 3 and to impart the flexibility in the thickness direction of the substrate portion only by the plurality of slits 4 of the substrate portion 2. In the specification, directions in the up / down / left / right and front / rear directions are for convenience of explanation, and do not always coincide with the actual usage direction of the harness exterior member 1.

4A and 4B, as a first modification of the harness exterior member 1, the starting end of the slit 6 following the circular hole 5 is expanded in a tapered shape (the expanded portion is indicated by reference numeral 6c). ) shows a harness exterior member 1 of arrow a (harness exterior member 1 ₂ which is a suitably restricted permit bending radius of the horizontal direction) of the flange plate 8 side. Components similar to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  For example, in the case where the starting width of the slit 6, that is, the inner width W of the intersection of the circular hole 5 and the slit 6 is set to be the same as in FIG. 2, by setting the tapered opening angle θ at the end of the slit 6, The inner width of the slit 6 is larger than in FIG. 2, the flexibility in the direction of arrow A is increased, and the bending radius is defined to be small. The bending radius decreases as the opening angle θ of the slit 6 increases. At the time of bending, both end surfaces of the expanded portion 6c of the slit 6 are brought into contact with each other by surface contact, so that the bending radius is accurately defined.

  Also, the inner width W of the starting end of the slit 6 is set smaller than that in FIG. 2, a tapered opening angle θ is set at the end of the slit 6, and the inner width of the slit 6 is set to be the same as in FIG. In this case, the bendability in the direction of arrow A is almost the same as that in FIG. 2, but the bending radius is accurately defined by bringing both end faces of the expanded portion 6c of the slit 6 into contact with each other at the time of bending. Bending in the direction opposite to the arrow A (toward the substrate portion 2 side) is performed in the same manner as in FIG. 2 without being affected by the expanding portion 6c.

FIG. 5 shows, as a second modification of the harness exterior member 1 of FIG. 2, the slit 4 ′ of the board portion 2 is extended to the guide portions 3 on both sides, and the circular holes 5 ′ are formed in the support plate 7 of each guide portion 3. A harness exterior member in which each end of the slit 4 ′ is communicated with each circular hole 5 ′, and a circular hole 5 similar to FIG. 2 and a short slit 6 are disposed in the middle of each circular hole 5 ′ of the support plate 7. 1 ₃ is shown. Components similar to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In each support plate 7, the circular holes 5, 5 ′ are arranged at an equal pitch with the same inner diameter, and the long slit 4 ′ on the substrate side and the short slit 6 on the side plate are formed with the same inner width. The long slit 4 ′ continues to the circular hole 5 ′ through the intersection 9 between the substrate portion 2 and the support plate 7, and the substrate portion 2 is divided into a plurality of portions in the longitudinal (front-rear) direction by the slit 4 ′.

  Compared with the embodiment of FIG. 2, the slit 4 ′ of the substrate portion 2 is extended over the upper and lower support plates 7, and is continuous with a circular hole 5 ′ different from the circular hole 5 following the slit 6 of the base plate 7. Thus, the bending toward the substrate portion side, that is, the flexibility with the substrate portion 2 as the inner side and the rib plate 8 as the outer side is enhanced.

  Since the slit 6 is also formed at the intersection 10 between the substrate portion 2 and the support plate 7, the bending toward the side plate side, that is, the flexibility with the side plate 8 inside and the substrate portion 2 outside is also high. . The flexibility to the substrate side and the flexibility to the side of the board (ease of bending) are about the same.

Further, the flexibility in the width direction of the substrate portion (harness), that is, the vertical direction and the flexibility in the torsion direction are also improved as compared with the embodiment of FIG. For example applied to a power supply of an automobile sliding door, the harness outer member 1 ₃ to the sliding door from the vehicle body upon wired, when there is a height difference between the vehicle body and the slide door, a high harness exterior member 1 ₃ since absorption is the height difference bent (vertical) direction, the harness exterior member 1 ₃ without excessive bending stress is applied to, increased durability of the harness exterior member 1 _3.

Incidentally, it was applied to each slit 4 and 6 of the substrate side and the flange plate side of Fig. 5 a tapered expanding portion 6c of the slit 6 in FIG. 4, to restrict the horizontal direction of the bending radius of the harness exterior member 1 ₃ It is also possible.

Figure 6 shows a harness exterior member 1 ₄ arranged alternately and alternately staggered on board the longitudinal direction of (longitudinal direction) at the guide portions 3 of the upper and lower flange plates 8 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 . Components similar to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In each guide portion 3, the portion having the support plate 7 and the cover plate 8 and the portion having only the support plate 7 and not the cover plate 8 are alternately arranged, and the number of the cover plates 8 is half that of the embodiment of FIG. 2. since decreased, while stacked flat harness 11, or when incorporating one by one to the harness exterior member 1 _4, only a small force to increase turning the flange plate 8 to the outside, assembly work of the flat harness 11 Will be easier. The built-in flat harness 11 is held by the upper and lower ribs 8 and is prevented from falling off.

  The circular hole 5 continues to the short horizontal slit portion 6 a of the support plate 7 even in the portion where the flange plate 8 is not provided. In addition, it is also possible to form the taper-shaped expansion part 6c of FIG. 4 in the short horizontal slit 6a, and to regulate the bending radius to the side plate side. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to extend the slit 4 on the side of the substrate portion 2 up and down so as to be continued to another circular hole 5 ′ (FIG. 5) of the support plate 7. The portion without the rib plate 8 is formed by cutting the rib plate 8 after extrusion.

FIG. 7 shows a harness exterior member _{15 in} which the substrate portion 2 of the embodiment of FIG. 2 is formed in an outward curved shape (the curved substrate portion is indicated by reference numeral 2 ′). The substrate portion 2 ′ has a smooth circular arc shape with the center portion in the height direction protruding most outward in the longitudinal section. The slit 4 of the substrate part 2 ′ is also curved outwardly integrally with the substrate part 2 ′. Components similar to those in FIG. 2 are assigned the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.

By making the substrate portion 2 ′ curved, rigidity against bending toward the substrate portion side, that is, bending with the substrate portion 2 ′ inside and the side plate 8 outside is increased, and bending toward the substrate portion side is restricted. Only bending to the side of the plate is allowed. For example, when the harness exterior member ₁₅ is routed between the vehicle body and the sliding door, it is useful for preventing the bending to the board portion side and preventing the interference with the vehicle body.

  The curved substrate portion 2 ′ can be easily formed by extruding a resin material (or elastomer material) through a curved slit hole of a die (not shown) during extrusion molding. The substrate portion 2 ′ has a force to restore a curved shape even when extended in a plane. A circular hole 5 is provided in the support plate 7 in the upper and lower guide portions 3, and a slit 6 following the circular hole 5 is provided in the gutter plate 8.

  4 can be formed in the slits 6 of the guide portions 3 on both the upper and lower sides in FIG. 7, or portions without the ribs 8 in FIG. 6 can be arranged alternately. is there. In the example of FIG. 7, when the slit 4 of the substrate part 2 ′ is extended to another circular hole 5 ′ (FIG. 5) of the upper and lower guide parts 3 as shown in FIG. 5, the flexibility on the substrate part side is increased. Although contrary to the aim, it is useful for improving the flexibility in the vertical direction, that is, the width direction of the substrate (harness) and the flexibility in the torsional direction.

The harness exterior members 1 to ₁₅ of the above-described embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 7 can be applied to continuous power supply to a slide door, a slide seat, a hinged front door, a back door, and the like of an automobile.

  For example, when applied to a slide seat, as an example, the harness exterior member 1 is substantially U-shaped in a state where the board portion 2 is vertically extended on the vehicle floor side and the upper and lower support plates 7 are horizontal in a state extended from FIG. It is arranged in a J-shape, one end in the longitudinal direction of the flat harness 11 is connected to the power supply side, and the other end of the flat harness 11 is folded upward in the 90 ° direction. Connected. When applied to a front door or a back door, the harness exterior member 1 is bent (shortened) in a U shape when the door is closed, and is stretched almost straight when the door is opened.

  FIGS. 8-12 shows 2nd embodiment of the harness exterior member which concerns on this invention, and its manufacturing method.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the harness exterior member 21 is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin as a material, and has a wide and parallel cover plate portion (long plate portion) 22 on both the left and right sides, and an upper portion of both cover plate portions 22. (One side part) is connected to the lower part (the other side part) of the narrow flexible curved plate part (one flexible part) 23 having a semicircular cross-section and integrally connecting (one side part). A flexible curved plate portion (the other flexible portion) 24 having an arc-shaped cross section that continues integrally with the lower curved plate portions 24 on the left and right sides is connected to the other flexible portion (the other flexible portion). Part) 25, and both cover plate portions 22 have a plurality of slits 26 in the width (up and down) direction in parallel in the longitudinal (front and back) direction from the lower connecting portion 25 to the upper curved plate portion 23, and the upper side The curved plate portion 23 has circular holes 27 communicating with the slits 26 in parallel in the longitudinal direction.

  The slit 26 is formed to extend to the lower end of the connecting portion 25, and the connecting portion 25 is divided into a plurality of slits 26 in the front-rear direction. In this example, the interval (pitch) of the slits 26 is set to about half or less than the vertical width of the cover plate portion 22. The inner diameter of the circular hole 27 is as large as about three times the inner width of the slit 26. The circular hole 27 is formed in the upper curved plate portion 23, and the lower end of the circular hole 27 is located at a substantially intersecting portion 28 (lower end of the curved plate portion 23) between the curved plate portion 23 and the cover plate portion 22. Is located between the upper end (vertex) 23a and the lower end 23b of the curved plate portion 23. The cover plate portion 22 and the upper and lower curved plate portions 23 and 24 have the same (uniform) plate thickness, for example, about 1 mm and have good flexibility.

  As shown in the enlarged view in the circle of FIG. 8, the curved plate portions 24 that continue symmetrically to the lower side of the left and right cover plate portions 22 are integrally connected to the downward vertical protrusion plate 29, and are thick on the inner surface of one of the protrusion plates 29. A horizontal block 30 of rectangular rectangular columnar shape is integrally provided, and a horizontal engagement groove 31 is provided in the block 30. The engagement groove 31 includes a narrow portion 31a on the block distal end side and a proximal end side. It is composed of a wide section 31b having a circular cross section, and a horizontal locking protrusion 32 is provided on the inner surface of the other protruding plate 29. The locking protrusion 32 has a horizontal plate-shaped narrow portion 32a on the proximal end side and a distal end. It is composed of a horizontal cylindrical head portion 32b having a circular cross section on the side. Each projection plate 29, the block portion 30, its engagement groove 31, and the protrusion 32 constitute a connection portion 25.

  The head portion 32b may be replaced with a circular cross-section, and may have a regular triangular shape, an isosceles triangular shape, a trapezoidal shape, or the like. The engagement groove 31 is appropriately formed according to the shape of the head portion 32b. The same applies to the head 32b having a circular cross section, but the pair of upper and lower horizontal protrusions 33 on the inlet side of the engagement groove 31 in the block 30 firmly lock the head 32b without coming out. It is also possible to make the head portion 32b and either one of the upper and lower protrusions 33 of the engaging groove 31 into a right-angled triangular cross section. Since the head 32 and the engagement groove 31 are continuously formed by extrusion molding, they have a uniform cross section in the longitudinal direction.

  An example of a method for manufacturing the harness exterior member 21 is shown in FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, using a thermoplastic synthetic resin as a material, an extrusion molding machine (not shown) uses left and right parallel cover plate portions 22, upper and lower curved plate portions 23 and 24, and a lower end connection portion 25. The base material to be formed is continuously extruded in the longitudinal direction (arrow D direction) and then cut to a required length by a cutting machine (not shown) to obtain an exterior member body 21 ′. The locking protrusion 32 and the engaging groove 31 of the connecting portion 25 are preferably extrusion-molded in a non-engaged state (separated to the left and right), but between the locking protrusion 32 and the engaging groove 31. If a thin die portion is installed, the locking protrusion 32 and the engaging groove 31 can be extruded in an engaged state via the die portion.

  After the extrusion molding of FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 10, the exterior member main body 21 ′ is expanded in a plane against the force to restore the shape of FIG. 9, and as shown in FIG. Are simultaneously formed with a punch and a die of a press molding machine (not shown). 10 to 11, the block portion 30 having the engagement groove 31 (FIG. 8) is disposed downward at the right end of the exterior member main body 21 ′, and the locking protrusion 32 is disposed downward at the left end.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the slits 26 in the width direction are symmetrically the same length in the right half 22 and the left half 22 except for the central portion 23 in the width direction of the exterior member main body 21 ′, and the like in the front-rear (longitudinal) direction. The holes 27 are formed in parallel at a pitch, and circular holes 27 are formed in parallel at an equal pitch with the same diameter at the slit end near the center of the exterior member main body 21 ′. The start ends 26 a of the slits 26 are opened in the left and right ends of the exterior member main body 21 ′, and the locking protrusions 32 and the block portions 30 are cut and separated for each slit 26.

  After the slit processing in FIG. 11, the exterior member main body 21 ′ is restored to the shape at the time of extrusion molding in FIG. 8 with a restoring force to obtain the harness exterior member 21. 11, the width direction central portion 23 of the exterior member main body 21 ′ protrudes upward, the left and right cover plate portions 22 approach inward and are positioned in parallel, and the slits 26 of both cover plate portions 22 face left and right. The circular holes 27 are positioned opposite to each other on the left and right sides of the upper curved plate portion 23. Each locking ridge 32 is engaged by being pushed into the engagement groove 31 of the block 30 by manual operation or an automatic pressing machine.

  In the example of FIG. 12, a plurality of electric wires (wire harnesses) 35 are inserted into the harness exterior member 21 in a flat shape. The insertion work of each electric wire 35 can be easily performed in a state where the engagement between the locking protrusion 32 and the engagement groove 31 (FIG. 8) is released and the connecting portion 25 is opened. The connecting portion 25 acts as a flexible portion that holds the electric wire 35 together with the lower curved plate portion 24 and the upper curved plate portion 23. The block 30 (FIG. 8) and the locking protrusion 32 have flexibility in the direction of arrow A (horizontal direction), the direction of arrow B (vertical direction), and the direction of arrow C (torsion direction) in FIG. (Because the lower curved plate portion 24 is bent preferentially, the connecting portion 25 is less bent). Each electric wire 35 is preferably arranged in advance in a flat shape and bound in a flat shape by tape winding or the like.

  Of course, it is possible to use a plurality of flat harnesses (flat wire harnesses) 11 as in the embodiment of FIG. 3 instead of the plurality of electric wires 35. Also in this case, the insertion work of the flat harness 11 can be easily performed with the connecting portion 25 opened. Similarly to the above, the connecting portion 25 acts as a flexible portion that holds the flat harness 11 together with the lower curved plate portion 24 and the upper curved plate portion 23. A plurality of the flat harnesses 11 (FIG. 3) may be disposed between the cover plate portions 22 in a stacked state (a slight gap may exist between the flat harnesses) with a slight shift in the width direction. Absent. There may be a gap between the outer surface of the flat harness 11 on both sides and the inner surface of both cover plate portions 22.

  In FIG. 12, the harness exterior member 21 can be easily bent with a small force in the left-right direction (thickness direction or horizontal direction) as shown by the arrow A together with the wire harness 35 by the vertical slits 26 of the left and right cover plate portions 22. The upper circular hole 27 softens the curved plate portion 23 and enhances the flexibility in the horizontal direction. The circular hole 23 also prevents cracking at the end of the slit 26.

  Further, each slit 26 is extended to the lower end of the connecting portion 25, and each connecting portion 25 can be contacted and separated in the longitudinal (front-rear) direction, so that the harness exterior member 21 together with the wire harness 35 is upward (vertical) as indicated by an arrow B. Direction) and can be bent easily with a small force. When the harness exterior member 21 is bent in the vertical direction, the cover plate portions 22 between the slits open in a fan shape in the front-rear direction integrally with the connecting portions 25 with the upper curved plate portion 23 as a fulcrum. The upper circular hole 27 softens the curved plate portion 23 and enhances the flexibility in the vertical direction.

  Further, the harness exterior member 21 can be easily bent with a small force in the twisting direction as indicated by an arrow C by the slits 26 and the circular holes 27 of the cover plate portions 22. These three directions of bendability are also good when the wire harness 35 is the flat harness 11. It is inevitable that the flat harness 11 is inferior in flexibility in the width direction (vertical direction) compared to the thickness direction.

  8 is formed in the slit 26 following the circular hole 27 in FIG. 8 so as to form the taper-shaped widened portion 6c (FIG. 4) as shown in FIG. When it is attempted to bend downward as opposed to (B direction), it is also possible to prevent bending by restricting both ends of the tapered portion of the expanded portion 6c to bend (restrict the bending angle). .

  Moreover, you may make it close each connection part 25 of FIG. 8 continuously like a zipper. In this case, for example, horizontal grooves (not shown) are continuously provided on the outer surfaces of the left and right protruding plates 29, and a U-shaped pressing member (which may be a separate member) is slidably engaged with the grooves. . Moreover, it is also possible to connect and fix the left and right protruding plates 29 without using the connecting portion 25 by a stepper, infrared welding, other heat welding, or the like. However, in this case, once the connecting portion is closed, it cannot be opened, so that the maintainability is lowered.

  Further, although the harness exterior member 21 of FIG. 8 is made of synthetic resin, it can be extruded using an elastic elastomer instead of the synthetic resin. In this case, the plate | board thickness of the harness exterior member 21 becomes thicker than a synthetic resin material. Although the same applies to the embodiment of FIG. 2, handling and durability of the harness exterior member 21 is enhanced by using a synthetic resin as a material, and the weight and space can be saved.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 8, the slit 26 is continuously (communicated) to the lower end of the connecting portion 25, but the lower end of the slit 26 is terminated by the curved plate portion 24 on the connecting portion 25 side, and the connecting portion 25 is continued horizontally long. It is also possible. However, in this case, it cannot be denied that the flexibility in the vertical direction (direction B in FIG. 12) is lower than in the example of FIG. It is also possible to eliminate the circular hole 27 and make only the slit 26. In this case, the effect of improving the flexibility (flexibility) by the circular hole 27 and preventing the crack at the slit end is lost.

  The harness exterior member 21 shown in FIG. 12 can be applied to power supply to a sliding door, a sliding seat, a hinged front door, a back door, and the like of an automobile as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Compared to the example of FIG. 3, the flat harness 11 is covered with the cover plates 22 on both sides, so that the protection against interference with the outside of the flat harness 11 is enhanced.

  Further, since the flexibility in the direction of arrow B (upward) in FIG. 12 is good, the height difference between the sliding door and the vehicle body can be absorbed. When it is not desired to bend in the direction of arrow B (upward), the harness exterior member 21 may be disposed with the connecting portion 25 up and the curved plate portion 23 down and upside down in FIG.

  13 to 15 show a harness exterior member as a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 8, FIG. 14 is an arrow E view of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is an arrow F view of FIG. Components similar to those in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 13, the harness exterior member 21 ₂ is made of synthetic resin as a material in order to improve the flexibility in the horizontal direction (arrow A direction) as compared with the embodiment of FIG. 8. 26 ′ is completely continuous (communication) with the upper curved plate portion 23 ′, and each cover plate portion 22 between the slits 26 ′ is located in the middle in the height direction of one (right side in the figure) of the cover plate portion 22 ′. 'Are connected together by a horizontal connecting piece 42.

  Circular holes 27 ′ are arranged symmetrically above and below the connecting piece 42, and the upper and lower sides of the connecting piece 42 serve as the inner circumference of the upper and lower circular holes 27 ′, and between the upper and lower circular holes 27 ′. A connecting piece 42 is formed. In this example, the inner diameter of each circular hole 27 'is about twice the inner width of the slit 26', and the inner width of the slit 26 'is larger than the inner width of the slit 26 in the example of FIG.

  The upper circular hole 27 ′ continues to the upper slit portion 26 a ′, the lower circular hole 27 ′ continues to the lower slit portion 27 b ′, and the upper slit portion 26 a ′ is a curved plate having a semicircular cross section on the upper side. The straight slit portion 26c ′ of the other cover plate portion 22 ′ of FIG. 14 is passed through the portion 23 ′, and the lower slit portion 26b ′ is connected to the lower 1/4 arc-shaped curved plate portion 24 and the connecting portion 25. 14 and subsequent to the slit portion 26c ′ of the other cover plate portion 22 ′ in FIG. 14, as shown in FIG. 15, all the portions other than the connecting piece 42 are notched by the circumferential slit 26 ′, and the longitudinal direction (exterior member longitudinal direction). Direction).

  The inner widths of the slits 26 'are uniform in the circumferential direction, and the slits 26' are arranged in parallel (parallel) at an equal pitch. The inner width of the slit 26 'in this example is about 1/4 of the width of the cover plate portion 22' between the slits. The width of the connecting piece 42 in this example in the vertical direction is larger than the inner width of the slit 26 'and is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole 27'. The width of the slit 26 ′, the inner diameter of the circular hole 27 ′, and the width of the connecting piece 42 can be appropriately set according to the usage form.

  As in the enlarged view of FIG. 8, the connecting portion 25 includes a locking protrusion 32 having a horizontal columnar head portion 32 b (FIG. 8), and a block portion 30 having an engagement groove 31 for the locking protrusion 32. It consists of The slit portions 26 ′ of both cover plate portions 22 ′ are arranged perpendicular to the horizontal connecting portion 25, the slit portions 26 ′ of the upper curved plate portion 23 ′ are semicircular, and the lower curved plate The slit portion 26 'of the portion 24 continues in a ¼ arc shape.

  Since the upper curved plate portion 23 ′ is completely separated (divided) by the slit 26 ′ as compared with the example of FIG. 8, the arrow A direction (horizontal direction) with the connecting piece 42 of FIG. 13 as a fulcrum (hinge portion) is used. ) Can be easily performed with a smaller force and smoothly with a large bending rate (small bending radius).

  Further, since both the upper curved plate portion 23 ′ and the lower connecting portion 25 are separated (divided) by the slit 26 ′, the bending in the direction of arrow B (upward) in FIG. The bending in the opposite direction (downward) can be easily performed with a smaller force and smoothly with a small bending radius. Since the upper curved plate portion 23 ′ is divided by the slit 26 ′, the rigidity of the upper curved plate portion 23 ′ is reduced, and the flexibility in the arrow B direction (upward direction) is increased, so that the upper curved plate portion is increased. Since 23 'opens front and rear (longitudinal direction) from the slit 26', the downward flexibility opposite to the arrow B is enhanced.

  In addition, a flat annular peripheral wall portion composed of both cover plate portions 22 ', upper and lower curved plate portions 23', 24 and a lower connecting portion 25 is crossed by each connecting piece 42 in only one circumferential direction. By being connected, the bending in the direction of arrow C (twisting direction) in FIG. 12 can be easily and smoothly performed with a small twisting force with each connecting piece 42 as a hinge fulcrum. Since the slit 26 'is formed over almost the entire circumference except for the connecting piece, the flexibility is sufficient, so that the circular hole 27' is formed for the purpose of preventing cracks at the slit end rather than improving the flexibility. Is done.

The harness exterior member 21 _{2 in} FIG. 13 is manufactured (formed) by the same method as in FIGS. That is, a thermoplastic synthetic resin material is extruded to form a flat annular base material, the base material is cut to an appropriate length to form an exterior member body, and the exterior member body is expanded to form a slit 26 ′. And a circular hole 27 'are formed by punching, and restored to a flat annular shape (substantially loop shape) by a restoring force to obtain a harness exterior member 21 ₂ .

In the process of forming the slit 26 ', the length of the slit portion 26b' along one of the cover plate portions 22 '(on the side of the locking protrusion 32) is short, and the slit portion along the cover plate portion of the other (engagement groove 31 side). The length of 26a 'is set long. In addition, the arrangement | positioning of the latching protrusion 32 and the engaging groove 31 (FIG. 8) may be reversed right and left. When extruding with an elastomer instead of a synthetic resin, the thickness of the harness exterior member 21 ₂ increases.

  The harness exterior member according to the present invention protects a plurality of flat harnesses and flexibly bends together with the flat harness as the movable structure such as a sliding door of an automobile, a sliding seat, a hinged door, etc. moves. It can be used to constantly supply power to the movable structure while expanding and contracting.

1, 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ , 1 ₄ , 1 ₅ , 21, 21 ₂ harness exterior member 2, 2 ′ board part (plate part)
3 Guide part (flexible part)
4, 4 ′, 26, 26 ′ Slit 5, 27 Circular hole 6 Second slit 6c Expanding portion 7 Support plate 8 Gutter plate 11 Flat wire harness (wire harness)
22, 22 'Cover plate part (plate part)
23, 23 'curved plate part (flexible part)
24 Curved plate (flexible part)
25 Connecting part (flexible part)
35 Wire harness 42 Connecting piece

Claims (11)

  A plurality of slits in the plate width direction are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the plate portion on the flexible long plate portion, and the flexible portions that hold the wire harness are integrally formed on both sides of the plate portion in the plate width direction. A harness exterior member formed and capable of assembling the wire harness in the thickness direction of the plate portion with at least the flexible portion on one side opened.   The flexible portion is a guide portion that includes a support plate that intersects the plate portion and a saddle plate that intersects the support plate, and the second portion in the plate width direction extends from the support plate to the tip of the saddle plate. The harness exterior member according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of slits are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the guide portion.   The harness exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the slit on the plate portion side extends to the support plate, and the extended slit and the second slit are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the support plate. .   The harness exterior member according to claim 2, wherein in the guide portions on both sides, the saddle plate is disposed in a staggered manner in the guide portion longitudinal direction between the second slits.   The harness exterior member according to claim 2, wherein the plate portion is formed in an outwardly curved shape in a cross-sectional view from one guide portion to the other guide portion.   The harness exterior member according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a circular hole continuing from an end of the second slit is provided in the support plate.   The harness exterior member according to claim 6, wherein a taper-shaped widened portion is formed at the end of the second slit, and the bending of the plate portion is restricted by a closing operation of the widened portion. .   The two plate portions are arranged in parallel, the flexible portions are integrally arranged on both sides of the two plate portions in the plate width direction, and one of the flexible portions is a curved plate portion. The harness exterior according to claim 1, wherein the other flexible portion includes a curved plate portion and a connecting portion, and the wire harness can be assembled with the connecting portion open. Element.   The slits of the two plate portions are formed to extend from the one curved plate portion to the tip of the connecting portion through the other curved plate portion, and the connecting portion is divided into a plurality by the slit, The harness exterior member according to claim 8, wherein the plate portions are connected in the longitudinal direction by the one curved plate portion.   The harness exterior member according to claim 9, wherein a circular hole following the end of the slit is provided in the one curved plate portion.   The slits of the two plate portions are extended in the circumferential direction across the one curved plate portion, the other curved plate portion, and the connecting portion, and the central portion of either one of the plate portions is a connecting piece. The harness exterior member according to claim 8, wherein the harness exterior member is integrally connected.

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