JP2020140801A - Wire harness and method for wiring wire harness - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wire harness convenient for conveyance, etc., and excellent in wiring workability.SOLUTION: A wire harness WH comprises: an electric wire W having a shape wired along a wiring path; a plurality of hard tubes 1 having the electric wire W divided into a plurality of electric wire sections at a predetermined folding position and for maintaining the electric wire W in each electric wire section in a shape along the wiring path; and shape return members 2A, 2B and 2C capable of connecting between the hard tubes 1 of adjacent electric wire sections, deformed so as to fold the plurality of hard tubes 1 connected by the action of an external force and capable of returning to the original shape so as to develop the plurality of connected hard tubes 1 in a shape along the wiring path when releasing the external force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a wire harness and a method of arranging a wire harness.

As shown in FIG. 5, the wire harness WH of the conventional example has an electric wire (electric wire bundle) W that can be deformed into a shape along a wiring path, and a connector 50 connected to an end portion of the electric wire W. The wire harness WH is arranged on the inner surface of one foam sheet 51 along a predetermined routing route. Another foam sheet 52 is superposed so as to cover the wire harness WH arranged on the foam sheet 51. The two superposed foam sheets 51 and 52 are arranged between the door panel (not shown) and the door trim (not shown).

By the way, since the electric wire W has flexibility and flexibility, the wire harness WH can be made into a compact shape. Therefore, it is convenient for transportation, handling, and storage.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-67073

However, since the electric wire W has flexibility and flexibility, it cannot maintain its shape along the wiring path by itself. Therefore, at the time of wiring work of the wire harness WH, the worker attaches the electric wire W to a plurality of positions of the foam sheet 51 by using a clip or the like while deforming the electric wire W into a shape along the wiring path. Therefore, the conventional wire harness WH has a problem that the wiring workability is poor.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a wire harness that is convenient for transportation and has good routing workability, and a wiring harness using the wire harness. The purpose is to do.

The wire harness of the present invention is divided into a plurality of electric wire sections with a wire having a shape that can be routed along a wiring path and the electric wire having a predetermined folding position as a boundary, and the said electric wire within each electric wire section. A plurality of shape-maintaining members that maintain the electric wires in a shape along the wiring path and a plurality of the shape-maintaining members that are connected between the shape-maintaining members in the adjacent electric wire sections and connected by the action of an external force are in a folded state. It is provided with a shape-returning member that is deformable so as to be able to do so and that returns to the original shape so that the plurality of the shape-maintaining members connected to each other when the external force is released expands into a shape along the wiring path.

In the method of arranging the wire harness of the present invention, an electric wire having a shape that can be routed along a wiring route and the electric wire are divided into a plurality of electric wire sections, and the shape of the electric wire in each electric wire section is defined. The plurality of shape-maintaining members to be maintained and the plurality of shape-maintaining members connected between the shape-maintaining members in adjacent electric wire sections and connected by the action of an external force can be deformed so as to be in a folded state, and the external force is applied. Before arranging the wire harness, use a wire harness provided with a shape returning member that returns to the original shape so that the plurality of the shape maintaining members connected to each other expand in a shape along the wiring path. Then, the shape of the shape-returning member is deformed by an external force to bind the shape-maintaining member in a folded state, and the shape-maintaining members are bound to each other by a binding member in order to maintain the folded state, and the wire harness wiring work is started. Occasionally, the binding with the binding member is released, the shape returning member is returned to the original shape, and the wire harness is arranged.

According to the present invention, the wire harness can be brought into a folded state by applying an external force to the shape returning member, which is convenient for transportation and the like. When the external force on the shape restoration member is released, the wire harness becomes a shape along the wiring path, so that the operator does not have to deform the wire harness into a shape along the wiring path, and the wiring work is easy. is there.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which (a) is a perspective view of a developed shape (shape along a wiring path) of a wire harness, and (b) is a perspective view of a folded shape of a wire harness. An embodiment of the present invention is shown, (a) is a perspective view of the original shape of the shape-returning member arranged at the first folding position, and (b) is a folded shape of the shape-returning member arranged at the first folding position. (C) is a sectional view taken along line AA of (a). It is a deformed non-branch. An embodiment of the present invention is shown, (a) is a perspective view of the shape-returning member arranged at the second folding position at the time of the original shape, and (b) is a folding of the shape-returning member interposed at the second folding position. A perspective view of the shape, (c) is a sectional view taken along line BB of (a). An embodiment of the present invention is shown, (a) is a perspective view of the shape-returning member arranged at the third folding position at the time of the original shape, and (b) is a folding of the shape-returning member interposed at the third folding position. A perspective view of the shape, (c) is a sectional view taken along line CC of (a). It is a perspective view explaining the wire harness of the conventional example.

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

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. The wire harness WH is arranged on a relatively wide wiring surface (not shown) such as a roof panel along a predetermined wiring route.

The wire harness WH has an electric wire (electric wire bundle) W wound with tape and branched at a predetermined position, and a connector (not shown) attached to each end of the electric wire W. The wire harness WH has a shape along a predetermined wiring path in the deployed state shown in FIG. 1 (a).

In the wire harness WH, the electric wire W is divided into a plurality of electric wire sections with a plurality of predetermined bending positions P1, P2, and P3 as boundaries in order to easily enable the folded state shown in FIG. 1 (b). There is. A hard tube 1 which is a shape maintaining member is attached to the electric wire W of each electric wire section. Each hard tube 1 has a rigidity that at least maintains the shape of the electric wire W in each electric wire section in a shape along the wiring path (in this embodiment, a linear shape). That is, since the electric wire W itself has flexibility and flexibility, it cannot be maintained in a shape along the wiring path by itself (in this embodiment, a linear shape), but it follows the wiring path by the hard tube 1. The shape (in this embodiment, the linear shape) can be maintained.

There are three bending positions in this embodiment: a first bending position P1, a second bending position P2, and a third bending position P3. The first bending position P1 is a linear position of the electric wire W. The second bending position P2 is a three-branch position in which the branch directions are 180 degrees, 30 degrees, and 150 degrees. The third bending position P3 is a three-branch position in which the branch directions are 180 degrees, 90 degrees, and 90 degrees.

At each of the bending positions P1, P2, and P3, the hard tubes 1 of the adjacent electric wire sections are connected by the shape return members 2A, 2B, and 2C, respectively. In this embodiment, the connecting means between the hard tube 1 and the shape returning members 2A, 2B, and 2C is a tape 3. The tape 3 is a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tape or a non-woven fabric tape.

Each shape returning member 2A, 2B, 2B can be deformed so that a plurality of shape maintaining members 1 connected by the action of an external force are in a folded state, and a plurality of connected shape maintaining members 1 are maintained when the external force is released. The member 1 returns to the original shape so as to expand in a shape along the wiring path. Each shape returning member 2A, 2B, 2B is formed of a convex steel material. As shown in FIGS. 2 (c), 3 (c), and 4 (c), each shape returning member 2A, 2B, and 2C has a convexly curved cross section in the width direction, and an external force is applied in the bending direction. When it acts, it bends due to its flexibility, and when the external force is released, it returns to its original shape due to its own rigidity.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A, the shape returning member 2A placed at the first bending position P1 has a linear original shape, and the ends of the hard tube 1 are at both ends thereof. It is connected. When an external force in the direction of overlapping the two hard tubes 1 acts, as shown in FIG. 2B, the linear shape returning member 2A changes into an overlapping shape. When the external force is released, the shape returning member 2A arranged at the first bending position P1 returns to the original linear shape as shown in FIG. 2A.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the shape returning member 2B arranged at the second bending position P2 has an isosceles triangle shape, and the end portion of the hard tube 1 is connected to each side. When an external force in the direction of overlapping the hard tubes 1 in the three directions acts, the shape-restoring member 2B of the isosceles triangle changes into a shape in which the three sides overlap each other, as shown in FIG. 3 (b). When the external force is released, the shape returning member 2B placed at the second bending position P2 returns to the original isosceles triangle shape as shown in FIG. 3A.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the shape returning member 2C arranged at the third bending position P3 has a regular triangular shape, and the end portion of the hard tube 1 is connected to each side. When an external force in the direction of overlapping the hard tubes 1 in the three directions acts, the shape-returning member 2C of the equilateral triangle changes to a shape in which the three sides overlap each other, as shown in FIG. 4 (b). Then, when the external force is released, the shape returning member 2C placed at the third bending position P3 returns to the original regular triangular shape as shown in FIG. 4A.

Before the wiring work (assembly work) of the wire harness WH, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the shapes of the shape returning members 2A, 2B, and 2C are deformed by an external force to form the electric wire W in a folded state (folded shape). ) And with a binding member (for example, a binding band) 4 (shown in FIG. 1 (b)) to maintain the folded state. As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the wire harness WH is in a folded state and becomes compact.

At the start of the wiring work (assembly work) of the wire harness WH, the binding by the binding member 4 is released. Then, as shown in FIG. 1A, the shape returning members 2A, 2B, and 2C return to their original shapes, and the wire harness WH has a shape (expanded shape) along the wiring path. The operator places the wire harness WH having a shape along the wiring path on the wiring surface (for example, the roof panel), and attaches it to a plurality of positions using clips or the like.

As described above, the wire harness WH is divided into a plurality of electric wire sections with a wire W having a shape that can be routed along the wiring path and the electric wire W at a predetermined folding position as a boundary, and each electric wire. A plurality of hard tubes (shape maintaining members) 1 that maintain the shape of the electric wires W in the section along the wiring path, and a plurality of hard tubes 1 that are connected to each other by the action of an external force. The shape return member 2A that can be deformed so that the hard tube 1 is in a folded state and returns to the original shape so that the plurality of connected hard tubes 1 expand in a shape along the wiring path when the external force is released. It has 2B and 2C.

Therefore, the wire harness WH can be brought into a folded state by applying an external force to the shape returning members 2A, 2B, and 2C, which is convenient for transportation and the like. When the external force on the shape restoration members 2A, 2B, and 2C is released, the wire harness WH becomes a shape along the wiring path, so that the operator does not need to deform the wire harness WH into a shape along the wiring path. , The wiring work is easy.

The shape-restoring members 2A, 2B, and 2C are made of convex steel. Since convex steel has both flexibility and strong rigidity, it can be reliably changed in shape to its original position and has high reproducibility.

The shape-restoring members 2A, 2B, and 2C may be any as long as they are deformed by an external force and return to their original shape when the external force is released. For example, it is a rubber material having a high elastic modulus.

In this embodiment, the shape-maintaining member is formed of a hard tube 1 exteriorized by an electric wire W. The shape-maintaining member may be any member that can maintain the electric wire W in the electric wire section in the shape of the wiring path. The shape-maintaining member may be a polypropylene (PP) rod, a flat plate along the electric wire W, or the like.

In each hard tube 1 of this embodiment, the shape of the electric wire W in each electric wire section along the wiring path is a straight line shape, but it may be an arc shape or a shape bent at a right angle or the like. Regardless of the type.

The predetermined second folding position P2 and the third folding position P3 of the electric wire W are branch positions of the electric wire W, and the original shapes of the shape restoration members 2B and 2C are triangular. The shape-returning members 2B and 2C use convex steel materials integrated in a triangular shape, but three linear convex steel materials may be arranged in a triangular shape.

The predetermined first folding position P1 of the electric wire W is a non-branched position where the electric wire W does not branch, and the original shape of the shape returning member 2A at the non-branched position is a shape along the wiring path, specifically. Is a linear shape.

In the above-described embodiment, the predetermined second folding position P2 and the third folding position P3 of the electric wire W are the three branch positions of the electric wire W, but the present invention can be applied to four or more branch positions.

WH wire harness W wire 1 Hard tube (shape maintenance member)
2A, 2B, 2C shape return member 4 Bundling member

Claims (5)

An electric wire that has a shape that can be routed along the route,
A plurality of shape-maintaining members in which the electric wire is divided into a plurality of electric wire sections with a predetermined folding position as a boundary and the electric wire in each electric wire section is maintained in a shape along a wiring path.
A plurality of the shape-maintaining members connected between the shape-maintaining members of adjacent electric wire sections and connected by the action of an external force are deformable so as to be in a folded state, and are connected when the external force is released. A wire harness provided with a shape-returning member that returns to the original shape so that the shape-maintaining member of the above-mentioned shape-maintaining member expands into a shape along a wiring path. The wire harness according to claim 1.
The shape returning member is a wire harness characterized in that it is made of a convex steel material. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2.
A wire harness characterized in that a predetermined folding position of the electric wire is a branching position of the electric wire, and the original shape of the shape returning member at the divided position is a triangular shape. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2.
The predetermined folding position of the electric wire is a non-branched position in which the electric wire does not branch, and the original shape of the shape-returning member at the non-branched position is a shape along the wiring path. Harness. An electric wire that has a shape that can be routed along the route,
A plurality of shape-maintaining members that divide the electric wire into a plurality of electric wire sections and maintain the shape of the electric wire in each electric wire section.
A plurality of the shape-maintaining members connected between the shape-maintaining members of adjacent electric wire sections and connected by the action of an external force are deformable so as to be in a folded state, and are connected when the external force is released. Using a wire harness provided with a shape-returning member that returns to the original shape so that the shape-maintaining member of the above-mentioned shape-maintaining member expands into a shape along the wiring path.
Before the wiring work of the wire harness, the shape of the shape returning member is deformed by an external force to bind the shape maintaining member in a folded state, and the shape maintaining members are bound to each other by a binding member in order to maintain the folded state.
A method for arranging a wire harness, which comprises releasing the binding with the binding member and returning the shape-returning member to the original shape to perform the wiring work of the wire harness at the start of the wiring work of the wire harness.

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