JP2014225996A - Wiring harness fixing structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance practicality of the fixing structure of a wiring harness.SOLUTION: In a structure for fixing a wiring harness 20 employing an integrated protective tube 32 where a plurality of tubes 40, 40 are integrated, one end of one of the plurality of tubes is fixed, for each wire 30 penetrating therethrough, by means of a first fixing bracket 24 attached to one of two members operating relatively, and one end of another tube out of the plurality of tubes is fixed, for each wire 30 penetrating through one of the tubes, by means of a second fixing bracket 26 attached to the other of two members. During relative operation of the two members, a large tensile force does not act on the wire thus ensuring excellent durability of the wiring harness.

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure for passing and fixing a wiring harness between two members.

  For example, as described in the following patent document, a wiring harness includes a plurality of electric wires and a protection tube that protects the plurality of electric wires.

JP 2011-97692 A

  The wiring harness described in the above-mentioned patent document allows a plurality of electric wires to pass through one cavity (also referred to as “hollow space”, “through hole”, “cavity”, etc.) of the protective tube. It is configured. Instead of such a configuration, it is also considered that a plurality of cavities are provided in a flexible protective tube and a plurality of electric wires are passed through the cavities one by one. In other words, it is possible to adopt a protection tube in which a plurality of flexible tubes are integrated, that is, an “integrated protection tube”, and allow a plurality of electric wires to pass through the plurality of tubes one by one. Yes.

  When the wiring harness that employs the integrated protection tube is disposed so as to be passed to the two members, one of both ends is fixed to one of the two members, and the other is fixed to the other. In the wiring harness fixed in such a manner, when two members move relative to each other, they are deformed along with the relative movement, so that a difference occurs between the respective path lengths of the plurality of cavities. There is also a possibility that a tensile force acts on either of these. The tensile force adversely affects the durability of the wiring harness. That is, there is still a room for improvement in the method of fixing the wiring harness, and the practicality of the wiring harness can be improved by making improvements.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, It is a fixing structure of the wiring harness which employ | adopted the integral protection tube, Comprising: It aims at providing a highly practical fixing structure.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the wiring harness fixing structure of the present invention is a structure for fixing a wiring harness that employs an integrated protective tube in which a plurality of tubes are integrated, and 2 that operates relative to each other. A first fixing bracket attached to one of the two members fixes one end of one of the plurality of tubes together with the electric wire penetrating the one, and a second attached to the other of the two members. A fixing bracket fixes another one end portion of the plurality of tubes together with an electric wire passing through the one end.

  According to the fixing structure of the present invention, among the plurality of tubes constituting the integrated protection tube, one tube whose one end is fixed by the first fixing bracket is not fixed at the other end, One tube whose one end is fixed by the two fixing brackets is not fixed at the other end. Therefore, when the two members move relative to each other, a large tensile force does not act on the electric wire, and the durability of the wiring harness is good. In that respect, the fixing structure of the present invention is highly practical.

Aspects of the Invention

  In the following, some aspects of the invention that can be claimed in the present application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “claimable invention”) will be exemplified and described. As with the claims, each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and is described in a form that cites the numbers of other sections as necessary. This is merely for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the claimable inventions, and is not intended to limit the combinations of the constituent elements constituting those inventions to those described in the following sections. In other words, the claimable invention should be construed in consideration of the description accompanying each section, the description of the embodiments, etc., and as long as the interpretation is followed, another aspect is added to the form of each section. In addition, an aspect in which some constituent elements are deleted from the aspect of each item can be an aspect of the claimable invention.

  In the following items, items (1) to (5) correspond to claims 1 to 5, respectively.

(1) Consists of a plurality of electric wires and a flexible integrated protective tube formed by integrating a plurality of tubes that penetrate and protect each of the plurality of electric wires one by one, and operate relative to each other 2 A wiring harness passed to one member,
A first fixing bracket attached to one of the two members and fixing one of the plurality of tubes at one end thereof with one of the plurality of wires passing through the one;
A second fixing bracket attached to the other of the two members and fixing another one of the plurality of tubes at one end thereof with one of the plurality of electric wires passing through the one; Wiring harness fixing structure with

  According to the fixing structure of this aspect, of the plurality of tubes constituting the integrated protection tube, one tube whose one end is fixed by the first fixing bracket is not fixed at the other end. One tube whose one end is fixed by the second fixing bracket is not fixed at the other end. In other words, at one end of the wiring harness, one of the plurality of integrated tubes is fixed together with the electric wire passing therethrough, and at the other end, another one of the plurality of tubes is It is fixed with the electric wire which penetrates. Therefore, either end of any of the plurality of tubes, that is, any end of any of the plurality of electric wires is not fixed, and the fixing structure of this aspect is such that the two members are relatively operated. When doing, it is set as the structure where a tensile force does not act easily in any of several electric wires. As a result, it is possible to prevent adversely affecting the durability of the electric wire.

  The “integrated protective tube” may be formed by welding, adhering, or the like, a plurality of flexible tubes over the entire length, and one relatively long flexible tube. The member may be formed so as to have a plurality of cavities over its entire length. In addition, since the integrated protective tube can be considered as an assembly of a plurality of tubes, it can also be called an “aggregate protective tube”.

  (2) The wiring harness fixing structure according to (1), wherein the wiring harness is passed to the two members in a U-shape.

  In the fixing structure of this aspect, for example, when the two members are relatively displaced in the relative movement of the two members, the deformation of the wiring harness can be made to follow the relative displacement well. Specifically, for example, when one of the two members moves linearly with respect to the other, a U-shape is formed in a direction along a line parallel to the direction of movement, If the wiring harness is disposed, the deformation of the wiring harness can effectively follow the relative displacement of the two members. In other words, for example, the wiring harness may be arranged so that the two U-shaped straight portions extend along the direction of relative movement of the two members.

  In addition, when the wiring harness is arranged so as to form a U shape, when one of the plurality of tubes is located inside the U shape and the other is located outside the U shape, the inner tube and the outside When the both ends of the integrated protective tube are fixed to the two members together with the two electric wires penetrating the two tubes, the difference in path between the respective cavities becomes relatively large. In either case, a considerably large tensile force acts. In view of that, the fixing structure for fixing the end of one of the plurality of tubes to one member and the end of the other one to the wiring harness arranged in a U shape It is suitable as a structure for fixing.

  (3) The wiring harness fixing structure according to (1) or (2), wherein one of the two members is a vehicle body and the other is a steering knuckle.

  The steering knuckle is a member of a suspension device that rotatably holds the steered wheels of the vehicle. The steering knuckle reciprocates linearly in the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body, and rotates around the kingpin axis, that is, rotates. Therefore, when a wiring harness is passed between the steering knuckle and the vehicle body, the wiring harness is deformed relatively complicated with torsional deformation. Therefore, the path difference between the cavities of each of the plurality of tubes constituting the integrated protection tube is relatively large, and at each end of the wiring harness, one end of the integrated protection tube for each of the plurality of wires is used as a steering knuckle. When the other end is fixed to the vehicle body, a considerably large tensile force acts on any of the plurality of electric wires. In view of that, the fixing structure for fixing the end of one of the plurality of tubes to one member and the end of the other one is a wiring harness passed between the steering knuckle and the vehicle body. It is suitable as a structure for fixing.

  (4) The wiring harness fixing structure according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein each of the plurality of electric wires is a covered wire in which a metal wire is covered.

  When the electric wire is a covered wire, the wiring harness is deformed with the relative movement of the two members in a state where the surface of the covering of each electric wire is in contact with the inner surface of each tube. In that case, a considerable frictional force acts between the surface of the coating of each electric wire and the inner surface of each tube, and the tensile force acting on the electric wire becomes considerably large due to the frictional force. In view of that, the fixing structure that fixes the end of one of the plurality of tubes to one member and the end of the other one to the wiring harness fixes the wiring harness in which the wire is the covered wire. It is suitable as a structure for this purpose.

  (5) Each of the first fixing bracket and the second fixing bracket is configured by caulking one of the plurality of tubes at one end of the tube together with one of the plurality of electric wires passing through one of the tubes. The wiring harness fixing structure according to any one of items (1) to (4), which is fixed.

  “Caulking” is a fixing method that can be easily and firmly fixed, and thus is a preferable fixing method in the fixing structure of the wiring harness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle suspension apparatus that employs a wiring harness fixing structure of an embodiment from a perspective from an oblique front. It is a figure which shows the whole wiring harness and two fixing brackets for fixing it. It is sectional drawing (III-III cross section in FIG. 2) of the intermediate part of a wiring harness. It is sectional drawing (IV-IV cross section in FIG. 2) of the part fixed by the wheel side bracket of a wiring harness. It is sectional drawing (VV cross section in FIG. 2) of the part fixed by the vehicle body side bracket of a wiring harness.

  Hereinafter, as a form for carrying out the claimable invention, a wiring harness fixing structure which is an embodiment of the claimable invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the following examples, the claimable invention is implemented in various forms including various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the form described in the above [Aspect of the Invention] section. can do.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a suspension device for a vehicle, specifically, a strut mount type (McPherson type) suspension device provided for a left front wheel. The left front wheel is a steered wheel and a drive wheel. In the figure, as a component of the suspension device, a steering knuckle (a kind of carrier) 12 that rotatably holds the wheel via a drive shaft 10; The lower part of the shock absorber 14 fixed to the upper end of the steering knuckle 12 is depicted as a component of the suspension device. The lower arm (which is a kind of suspension arm) and the like are not shown. Also, the illustration of the brake device and the like is omitted.

  The wiring harness 20 that is the target of the fixing structure of the embodiment is shaded in the drawing and is passed to the vehicle body and the steering knuckle 12, which are two members that move relative to each other, as can be seen from the drawing. Arranged. Specifically, the side member 22 which is a part of the vehicle body and the upper end portion of the steering knuckle 12 are connected so as to be passed to them.

  Although the wiring harness 20 is deformed in the figure, the wiring harness 20 is at one end by a wheel-side bracket 24 that is a first fixed bracket attached to the upper end of the steering knuckle 12 and at the other end by a side member 22. These are fixed by vehicle body side brackets 26 as second fixing brackets fixedly attached to each other. In a state where both ends are fixed, the wiring harness 20 is arranged so as to be generally U-shaped. For example, the U-shaped two straight portions are arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction, and the U-shape is opened downward. That is, it is arranged so that the top and bottom of the U-shape are upside down.

  The wiring harness 20 has a function of exchanging electric power or signals between the steering knuckle 12 itself or an electric device disposed in the vicinity of the steering knuckle 12 and an electric device provided on the vehicle body. Specifically, although not shown in the figure, the steering knuckle 12 is provided with a wheel side sensor for detecting the rotational speed of the wheel, and the wiring harness 20 is provided with a detection signal from the sensor on the vehicle body. It has a function as a medium for sending to the control device. Although not shown in the drawing, the shock absorber 14 includes an actuator for changing the damping force, and the wiring harness 20 is a medium for supplying electric power to the actuator from a control device provided in the vehicle body. It has the function of

  In order to realize the above function, as shown in FIG. 2, the wiring harness 20 is configured to include a plurality of electric wires, specifically, two electric wires 30, 30. A flexible protective tube 32 that protects the electric wires 30 and 30 is included.

  If it demonstrates referring FIG. 3 which shows a cross section, the electric wire 30 will be obtained by applying a coating 36 made of ethylene-propylene rubber (EPDM) to a metal wire 34 as a core material, as shown in FIG. In addition, a terminal 37 is attached to the end. On the other hand, the protective tube 32 is a long member made of flame-retardant polyethylene having a plurality of cavities, specifically, two cavities 38, and a plurality of tubes, specifically, two flexible tubes. 40 and 40 can be considered as an integrated twin tube (a kind of “integrated protective tube”). The two electric wires 30 and 30 are respectively penetrated by the two tubes 40 and 40 and are individually protected by the two tubes 40 and 40. That is, the protective tube 32 protects the two electric wires 30 and 30 such that one tube 40 covers one electric wire 30.

  One end portion of the wiring harness 20, specifically, one end portion of the protection tube 32 is provided by the wheel side bracket 24, and the other end portion, specifically, the other end portion of the protection tube 32 is provided by the vehicle body side bracket 26. Each is fixed. More specifically, each of the wheel side bracket 24 and the vehicle body side bracket 26 is generally a plate-like member, and has a latching piece portion 42 partially bent in a curl shape (FIGS. 4 and 5). The wiring harness 20 is fixed by the latching piece portion 42 at each of both end portions.

  If it demonstrates in more detail about fixation of the wiring harness 20, the latching piece part 42 of the wheel side bracket 24 will show only one of the two tubes (the tube 40 located below in the figure) as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the latching piece portion 42 of the vehicle body side bracket 26 fixes only the other of the two tubes (the tube 40 positioned upward in the drawing). These are fixed by caulking of the latching piece portion 42, and the tube 40 is fixed together with the electric wires 30 penetrating through the both ends of the wiring harness 20. That is, one tube 40 constituting the protective tube 32 is firmly fixed by caulking together with one electric wire 30 passing through the tube 40.

  By fixing as described above, one end of one tube 40 and the electric wire 30 passing through the tube 40 is fixed by the wheel side bracket 24, but the other end is not fixed by the vehicle body side bracket 26. As for the other tube and the electric wire 30 penetrating therethrough, one end portion is fixed by the vehicle body side bracket 26, but the other end portion is not fixed by the wheel side bracket 24.

  The portions of the electric wires 30, 30 that extend from the protective tube 32 are lightly stopped by the strap 44 both in the wheel side bracket 24 and in the vehicle body side bracket 26.

  As shown by the white arrow in FIG. 1, the steering knuckle 12 and the vehicle body move relative to each other. More specifically, the steering knuckle 12 moves (displaces) up and down with respect to the vehicle body as the vehicle body vibrates, and rotates around the kingpin axis as the wheels turn. Therefore, the steering knuckle 12 and the vehicle body perform a relatively complicated relative operation in which the movement and rotation are combined. The wiring harness 20 is disposed so as to be U-shaped, and appropriately follows the relative movement.

  On the other hand, in the wiring harness 20 having a U shape, the length of the cavities of the two tubes 40 constituting the protective tube 32, that is, the length of the path through which the electric wire 30 passes through each tube 40, It changes with the relative movement of the steering knuckle 12 and the vehicle body. Specifically, for example, when one of the two tubes 40 is located outside the U shape with respect to the other, the length of the path defined by the one is equal to the length of the path defined by the other. Since the relative movement is complicated, the inner tube 40 and the outer tube 40 are constantly switched, and the length of the path defined by each tube 40 is frequently increased. It changes to.

  Even if the path changes as described above, according to the fixing structure of the present embodiment, one end of each of one tube 40 and one electric wire 30 passing through the tube 40 is not fixed. The tensile force hardly acts on the electric wires 30, and the durability of each electric wire 30, that is, the durability of the wiring harness 20 is good.

  In addition, although a frictional force acts between the outer surface of the coating 36 of the electric wire 30 and the inner surface of the tube 40, the tensile force acting on the electric wire 30 due to the frictional force has an adverse effect on durability. Since one end part of each tube 40 and one electric wire 30 passing through the tube 40 is not fixed, the tube 40 is small.

12: Steering knuckle [one of the two members] 20: Wiring harness 22: Side member [the other of the two members] 24: Wheel side bracket [first fixing bracket] 26: Car body side bracket [second fixing bracket] 30: Electric wire 32: Protection tube [integrated protection tube] 34: Metal wire 36: Cover 38: Cavity 40: Tube 42: Hanging piece

Claims (5)

Two members that are configured to include a plurality of electric wires and a flexible integrated protective tube formed by integrating a plurality of tubes that penetrate and protect each of the plurality of electric wires one by one. With the passed wiring harness,
A first fixing bracket attached to one of the two members and fixing one of the plurality of tubes at one end thereof with one of the plurality of wires passing through the one;
A second fixing bracket attached to the other of the two members and fixing another one of the plurality of tubes at one end thereof with one of the plurality of electric wires passing through the one; Wiring harness fixing structure with   The wiring harness fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein the wiring harness is passed to the two members in a U-shape.   The wiring harness fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein one of the two members is a vehicle body and the other is a steering knuckle.   The wiring harness fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of electric wires is a covered wire in which a metal wire is covered. Each of the first fixing bracket and the second fixing bracket fixes one of the plurality of tubes by caulking together with one of the plurality of electric wires penetrating the one at the end thereof. The wiring harness fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:

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