JP2016140226A - Branching section protector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a branching section protector which has a novel structure and can be mounted without tilting a protective plate with respect to a trunk wire and a branch wire, and ensure a constant clearance between the protective plate and other members adjacent, even at a branching section where the branch wire, having a diameter smaller than that of the trunk wire, branches.SOLUTION: A branching section protector 10 is mounted on a branching section 14 where a branch wire 12b, having a diameter smaller than that of a trunk wire 12a of a wire harness 12, branches from the trunk wire 12a. At the branching section 14, the branching section protector 10 comprises: a trunk wire protective plate 20 placed on an outer peripheral surface of the trunk wire 12a; and a branch wire protective plate 22 placed on an outer peripheral surface of the branch wire 12b. The trunk wire protective plate 20 and the branch wire protective plate 22 are coupled via a flexible coupling section 24 which is flexibly deformable in a direction of a plate thickness.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a protective device for a wire harness, and particularly to a protective device for a branch part that is used by being attached to a branch part where a branch line branches from a trunk line of the wire harness.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, wire harnesses used in automobiles are provided with branching portions where branch lines are branched at a plurality of locations on a trunk line extending from a battery for the purpose of supplying power from a battery to a large number of in-vehicle devices. Yes.

  By the way, in such a wire harness, a cylindrical corrugated tube is extrapolated to prevent interference with other members of the wire harness and to protect from the external environment. However, at the branch portion of the wire harness, since the branch line branches off from the trunk line in a T shape, it is proposed that the cylindrical corrugated tube cannot be extrapolated and protected by a special protector.

  For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-225981 (Patent Document 1), a half part of a cylindrical part that covers a trunk line and a cylindrical part that covers a branch line is integrated into a T shape from the upper and lower sides of the branch part. Synthetic protective equipment made of synthetic resin that covers the bifurcated portions by connecting them together has been proposed.

  However, in such a protector, since the diameter of the cylindrical part covering the trunk line and the branch line is fixed, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of kinds of protectors according to the shape of each branch part, and the versatility is poor. There was a problem. Therefore, for example, a method of protecting the branch portion regardless of the diameter of the main line or branch line by overlapping a pair of synthetic resin flat plate protection plates from the upper and lower sides of the branch portion and fixing with vinyl tape or the like has also been proposed. ing.

  If it is such a method, many kinds of branch parts from which the diameter dimension of a trunk line or a branch line may be covered with a pair of protection plates, and can be protected. However, when the diameter of the branch line is smaller than that of the main line, it is inevitable that the protective plate is inclined and fixed with respect to the main line and the branch line due to the difference in diameter between the main line and the branch line. As a result, the pair of protective plates enter the inside on the small-diameter branch line side, and on the large-diameter trunk line side, the gap cannot be secured with other members that are required to protrude outward, and in some cases, interference with other members may occur. There was a risk of being invited.

JP 2013-225981 A

  The present invention has been made in the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is that the protective plate is not inclined with respect to the main line and the branch line even at the branch portion where the branch line having a smaller diameter than the main line branches. An object of the present invention is to provide a protective device for a branching part having a novel structure that can be attached and can ensure a constant gap between a protective plate and another adjacent member.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a protective device for a branch part attached to a branch part where a branch line having a smaller diameter than the main line branches from the main line of the wire harness, and is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the main line in the branch part. The main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate placed on the outer peripheral surface of the branch line, and the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate can be flexibly deformed in the plate thickness direction. It is characterized by being connected via.

  According to this aspect, in the branch portion, the main line protection plate placed on the main line and the branch line protection plate placed on the branch line are connected via the flexible connection portion that can be bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction. . At the branch part of the wire harness, the branch line has a smaller diameter than the main line, so the difference between the diameter of the main line and the branch line in the mounting position in the thickness direction of the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate may occur. When the flexible connecting portion that connects the protection plate and the branch line protection plate bends and deforms in the thickness direction, the difference in the placement position in the thickness direction can be absorbed. As a result, it is possible to avoid the trunk line protection plate and the branch line protection plate being placed inclined with respect to the trunk line and the branch line due to the difference in diameter between the trunk line and the branch line, so that other members adjacent to the trunk line protection plate and the branch line protection plate Can be maintained substantially constant over the entire length of the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate projecting outward and interfering with other members.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the one described in the first aspect, the flexible connecting portion is configured by a plurality of strip-shaped members arranged in the width direction and hinged to each other. The band-shaped member is extended in a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and is hinged to the other band-shaped member adjacent on the lower bottom side, and the lower bottom side of each band-shaped member is arranged on the branching portion side. It is what.

  According to this aspect, the band-shaped member extending in the trapezoidal cross section arranged in the width direction and constituting the flexible coupling portion and hinged is hinge-coupled to the other band-shaped members adjacent on the lower bottom side thereof. Yes. Therefore, in order to absorb the difference in diameter between the main line and the branch line, the difference in diameter can be absorbed by bending and deforming into a concave shape on the branch portion side. Moreover, in that case, the upper bottom side of each strip | belt-shaped member will mutually approach, and the rigidity improvement of a flexible connection part can also be aimed at.

  Moreover, the adjacent strip | belt-shaped member is hingedly connected by the lower bottom side, Therefore The bottom face (surface facing a branch part) of a flexible connection part can be comprised flat. Therefore, there is no possibility that the projecting portion on the upper bottom side of the belt-shaped member contacts the branch portion and damages the trunk line or the branch line.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the one described in the first or second aspect, wherein both ends of the trunk line in the longitudinal direction of the trunk line protection plate are laterally outward from both side edges. A pair of extending flexible mounting portions are provided.

  According to this aspect, the main body protection plate can be fixed to the main line by, for example, winding the binding tape or the like by bringing the flexible mounting portion of the main line protection plate into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the main line. . As a result, both sides of the main line protection plate that is easily separated from the outer peripheral surface of the main line can be brought into contact with the main line protection plate in a wide contact area by the flexible mounting part, and stable fixing of the main line protection plate to the main line is realized. can do. In particular, by providing a pair of flexible mounting portions at both ends in the length direction of the trunk line protection plate, the amount of displacement of which tends to increase when an external force is applied, it is possible to achieve even more fixed stability. .

  According to the present invention, in the branch portion of the wire harness, the main line protection plate placed on the main line and the branch line protection plate placed on the branch line are connected via the flexible connection portion that can be bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction. Has been. Since the branch line has a smaller diameter than the main line, there is a difference in the mounting position of the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate in the plate thickness direction. The difference in the mounting position in the direction can be absorbed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate from being inclined with respect to the main line and the branch line, so that the gap between the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate and the other adjacent members is removed from the main line protection plate and It can be held substantially constant over the entire length of the branch line protection plate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as the main line protection plate and the branch line protection plate projecting outward and interfering with other members.

The perspective view for demonstrating a mode that the protector for branch parts as 1st embodiment of this invention is attached with respect to the branch part of a wire harness ((a) before attachment, (b) after attachment). The front view of FIG.1 (b). The expanded view of the protector for branch parts of this embodiment. The perspective view for demonstrating a mode that the protective equipment for branch parts as 2nd embodiment of this invention was attached. The front view of FIG. The expanded view of the protector for branch parts shown by FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, the protective device 10 for branch parts as 1st embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. The protective device 10 for a branch part is used by being attached to a branch part 14 where a branch line 12b having a smaller diameter than the main line 12a branches from the main line 12a of the wire harness 12 (see FIG. 1). That is, in the branch part 14, as shown in FIG. 1A, since the branch line 12b branches from the trunk line 12a in a T shape, a cylinder that protects the wire bundles 16a and 16b of the trunk line 12a and the branch line 12b. The corrugated tubes 18a and 18b cannot be extrapolated, and the branch protection device 10 is required as a new protection device. As shown in FIG. 3, the branch portion protector 10 has a substantially T shape in plan view, and connects the main line protection plate 20 and the branch line protection plate 22 to these plates 20 and 22. And a flexible connecting portion 24. In addition, the protective device 10 for branch parts is integrally formed by injection molding etc. with synthetic resins, such as a polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA), for example. Further, in the following description, “upper” means the upper side in FIG. 2, and “lower” means the lower side in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the main line protection plate 20 is a substantially horizontally long flat plate in a plan view, and covers the branch portion 14 region of the main line 12a, that is, the wire bundle 16a exposed from the corrugated tube 18a. It is formed with a sufficient size. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the branch line protection plate 22 is a flat plate having a substantially vertically long rectangular shape in a plan view, and can be placed and fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the branch line 12 b near the branching portion 14. It is formed with a large size. The trunk line protection plate 20 and the branch line protection plate 22 can be connected to a substantially central portion of one side surface extending from one end portion of the branch line protection plate 22 in the longitudinal direction and extending in the longitudinal direction of the trunk line protection plate 20. It is connected via the flexible connecting part 24.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible connecting portion 24 has a substantially horizontally long rectangular shape in a plan view, while a plurality of (this embodiment) is shown in FIGS. 1B and 2. In the embodiment, five) horizontally long belt-like members 26 are arranged in the width direction and are hinged to each other. More specifically, while the belt-like member 26 is extended in a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the belt-like member 26 adjacent to each other is connected to another belt-like member 26 adjacent on the lower bottom side via the thin plate portion 26a. The thin plate portion 26a is hinged so as to be capable of rotational displacement with respect to each other. Thereby, the flexible connection part 24 can be bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the branch protector 10 having the structure as described above is assembled to the branch 14 of the wire harness 12. More specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 1B, the trunk protection plate 20 is placed on the outer peripheral surface of the trunk line 12a along the extending direction of the trunk line 12a at the branching portion 14. The branch line protection plate 22 is placed on the outer peripheral surface of the branch line 12b along the extending direction of the branch line 12b. Then, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the trunk line protection plate 20 are bound and fixed to the trunk line 12a by a binding tape 28 or the like, and opposed to one end in the longitudinal direction where the flexible connecting portion 24 extends in the branch line protection plate 22. The other end in the longitudinal direction is bound and fixed to the branch line 12b with a binding tape 28 or the like. As a result, the wire bundle 16a exposed from the corrugated tube 18a at the branch portion 14 is covered by the main line protection plate 20, while the wire bundle 16b exposed from the corrugated tube 18b at the branch portion 14 is flexible with the branch line protection plate 22. The connection portion 24 is configured to be covered. In this state, the flexible connecting portion 24 is bent and deformed into a shape that is concave toward the branch portion 14, and the lower bottom side of the belt-like member 26 is disposed on the branch portion 14 side. For easy understanding, the binding tape 28 is not shown in FIG. As described above, the protective device 10 for the branch portion is assembled to the branch portion 14 of the wire harness 12.

  According to the protective device 10 for a branch portion having such a configuration, since the branch line 12b has a smaller diameter than the main line 12a, the main line protection plate 20 and the branch line protection plate 22 are placed at the mounting positions in the thickness direction. There is a difference. However, since the flexible connecting portion 24 can be bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction, the flexible connecting portion 24 is bent and deformed into a concave shape on the branch portion 14 side, so that the mounting in the plate thickness direction is performed. Differences in position are absorbed. Thereby, it can avoid that the trunk line protection plate 20 and the branch line protection plate 22 are inclined and placed with respect to the trunk line 12a and the branch line 12b due to a difference in diameter between the trunk line 12a and the branch line 12b. Therefore, the gap between the main line protection plate 20 and the branch line protection plate 22 and other adjacent members (not shown) can be held substantially constant over the entire length of the main line protection plate 20 and the branch line protection plate 22. Further, it is possible to prevent the problem that the branch line protection plate 22 protrudes outward and interferes with other members.

  Further, since the belt-like member 26 is hinge-connected to the other belt-like member 26 adjacent on the lower bottom side, the bottom surface of the flexible connecting portion 24 (the surface facing the branching portion 14) can be configured to be flat. . Therefore, the trapezoidal cross-sectional protrusion on the upper bottom side of the belt-like member 26 does not come into contact with the branch portion 14 and may damage the electric wire bundles 16a and 16b of the trunk line 12a and the branch line 12b. Furthermore, since the upper bottom side of the belt-like member 26 approaches each other when the flexible connecting portion 24 is bent and deformed into a concave shape on the branching portion 14 side, the rigidity of the flexible connecting portion 24 can be improved. Can do it.

  Next, FIGS. 4 to 6 show a protective device 30 for a branching portion as a second embodiment of the present invention. As in the first embodiment, the branch protector 30 includes a main line protection plate 32, a branch line protection plate 22, and a flexible connecting portion 33. The main line protection plate 32 has a pair of ends that extend outward in the width direction from both side edges in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6) at both ends in the length direction (left and right direction in FIG. 6) of the main line 12a. Flexible mounting portions 34, 34 are provided. Note that members and portions that are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment in the drawings, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  That is, the main line protection plate 32 of the present embodiment has a substantially horizontally long rectangular plate shape in plan view as a whole. As shown in FIG. 6, the rectangular regions in plan view at the four corners of the main line protection plate 32 are thinned to provide flexible mounting portions 34, 34, 34, 34. As a result, the main line protection plate 32 has a center plate portion 38 positioned at the center portion in the length direction and a pair of lengthwise outward portions extending from the width direction center portions of both end portions in the length direction of the center plate portion 38. While the end plate portions 40, 40 are configured to be thick, the flexible mounting portions 34, 34, 34, extending outward in the width direction from both sides of the end plate portions 40, 40 in the width direction. 34 is formed thin so that it can be bent and deformed. In the present embodiment, the height position of the upper surface of the flexible mounting portion 34 relative to the lower surface of the main line protection plate 32 is made lower than the height position of the upper surface of the center plate portion 38 and the end plate portion 40, The flexible mounting portion 34 is thinner than the central plate portion 38 and the end plate portion 40.

  Further, in the length direction of the main line protection plate 32, a slit 42 penetrating in the thickness direction of the main line protection plate 32 is provided at a boundary portion between the central plate portion 38 and each flexible mounting portion 34. Thereby, the central plate portion 38 and the end plate portions 40, 40 formed thick have sufficient deformation rigidity, while the thin flexible mounting portions 34 can be bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction. .

  In the present embodiment, the main line protection plate 32 and the branch line protection plate 22 are connected by the flexible coupling portion 33. The flexible connecting portion 33 of the present embodiment is a thin, substantially rectangular plate, and can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction.

  The branch protector 30 of this embodiment having such a structure is attached to the branch portion 14 of the wire harness 12 as shown in FIG. That is, the end plate portions 40, 40 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the trunk line protection plate 32 are bound and fixed to the trunk line 12a by the binding tapes 28, 28, and the branch line protection plate 22 is fixed to the branch line 12b by the binding tape 28. Bonded and fixed. At that time, the flexible mounting portions 34 provided on both sides in the width direction of the end plate portions 40, 40 are tightened by the binding tape 28 and deformed along the outer peripheral surface of the trunk line 12a to be stable with a wide contact area. Thus, it is held in contact with the trunk line 12a. Further, since the branch line 12b has a small diameter with respect to the main line 12a, the flexible connecting portion 33 is deformed so as to be recessed toward the branching portion 16b, and the difference in diameter between the main line 12a and the branch line 12b is absorbed. .

  Thus, since each flexible mounting part 34 provided in the longitudinal direction both ends of the trunk line protection plate 32 bends and deforms along the trunk line 12a, the flat trunk line as in the first embodiment. Compared with the protective plate, the gap between the edge in the width direction of the main line protective plate and the main line can be reduced. Thereby, the main line protection plate 32 is stably and firmly fixed with a large contact area on the main line 12a. Moreover, since the protrusion from the trunk line of the four corners of the trunk line protection plate 32 is reduced at both ends in the length direction of the trunk line protection plate 32, interference with other members is further suppressed, and the trunk line protection plate and the trunk line The influence from the outside through the gap between them can be effectively reduced.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention has been described, this invention is not limited at all by the specific description in this embodiment. For example, in the first embodiment, the flexible connecting portion 24 is configured by a plurality of belt-like members 26 being hinge-connected to another belt-like member 26 adjacent on the lower bottom side via a thin plate portion 26a. However, for example, as a flexible connecting part, a concave groove extending in the width direction with respect to a synthetic resin flat plate is connected in the longitudinal direction at a minute pitch, and is deformed and deformed in a relatively stepless manner in the thickness direction. Any shape can be adopted as long as it can be bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction, such as those made possible.

  In the second embodiment, the four corners of the main line protection plate 32 are thinned and the flexible mounting portion 34 having a rectangular shape in plan view is provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode. That is, for example, each flexible mounting portion 34 may be formed so as to extend outward from both end edges in the width direction of the central plate portion 38, or may be accommodated inside the both end edges in the width direction. It may be. In addition, the main line protection plate may be configured such that the flexible mounting portions extend outward in the width direction from both side edges in the width direction at both ends in the length direction of the substantially rectangular plate-like body.

  Furthermore, the shape of the flexible mounting portion in the second embodiment is not limited in any way. For example, a plurality of substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional strip members such as the flexible connecting portion 24 in the first embodiment. Any shape can be adopted as long as it can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction, such as a shape that is hinged through a thin plate portion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,30: Protective tool for branch parts, 12: Wire harness, 12a: Trunk line, 12b: Branch line, 14: Branch part, 20, 32: Main line protection plate, 22: Branch line protection plate, 24, 33: Flexible connection part , 26: belt-like member, 34: flexible mounting portion

Claims (3)

A protective device for a branch part attached to a branch part where a branch line having a smaller diameter than the main line branches from the trunk line of the wire harness,
In the branch part, the main line protection plate placed on the outer peripheral surface of the main line, and a branch line protection plate placed on the outer peripheral surface of the branch line,
The trunk protection plate and the branch protection plate are connected via a flexible connecting portion that can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction.   The flexible connecting portion is configured by a plurality of band-shaped members arranged in the width direction and hinged to each other, and the plurality of band-shaped members extend in a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and are adjacent to each other on the lower bottom side. The protective device for a branch part according to claim 1, wherein the lower base side of each of the band members is disposed on the branch part side by being hinged to the belt member.   3. The branch portion according to claim 1, wherein a pair of flexible mounting portions that extend outward in the width direction from both side edge portions are provided at both ends of the trunk line in the longitudinal direction of the trunk line protection plate. Protective equipment.