JP2021197305A - Wiring harness - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wiring harness in which the vibration of a flexible tube is not easily transmitted to a first connector via a wire cover.SOLUTION: A wiring harness includes an electric wire, a first connector provided at the end of the electric wire, a flexible tube that covers at least a part of the outer circumference of the electric wire, and a cylindrical electric wire cover connecting the first connector and the flexible tube, and the first connector includes a cylindrical first housing, and the electric wire cover includes a first cover portion that covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing, and the first housing and the first cover portion engage with a play in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to wire harnesses.

The wire harness mounted on the vehicle includes an electric wire and a first connector provided at the end of the electric wire. The wire comprises a conductor and an insulating coating covering its perimeter. The first connector includes a first terminal connected to a conductor and a cylindrical first housing for accommodating the first terminal inside. The first connector may be a female connector having a female terminal or a male connector having a male terminal. When the first connector of the wire harness is a female connector, the mating connector connected to the first connector is a male connector. When the first connector of the wire harness is a male connector, the mating connector connected to the first connector is a female connector.

As one form of the wire harness, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a wire harness including a flexible tube and a wire cover in addition to the wire and the first connector. The flexible tube covers at least a part of the outer circumference of the wire and protects the insulation coating of the wire. The wire cover is a tubular member that connects the flexible tube to the first housing of the first connector. The wire cover holds the flexible tube in place near the first connector.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-033851 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-108587

The male terminal of the male connector and the female terminal of the female connector reciprocate in a minute range in the axial direction of both terminals due to vibration during traveling of the vehicle. At that time, the male terminal and the female terminal may be worn, and the conductivity between the male terminal and the female terminal may decrease. In particular, in a wire harness equipped with a flexible tube, the vibration of the flexible tube is transmitted to the first connector via the wire cover. As a result, wear of the male terminal and the female terminal tends to progress.

Therefore, one of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a wire harness in which the vibration of the flexible tube is not easily transmitted to the first connector via the electric wire cover.

The wire harness of the present disclosure is
With electric wires
The first connector provided at the end of the electric wire and
A flexible tube that covers at least a part of the outer circumference of the electric wire,
A tubular electric wire cover for connecting the first connector and the flexible tube is provided.
The first connector comprises a cylindrical first housing.
The electric wire cover includes a first cover portion that covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing.
The first housing and the first cover portion engage with each other in a state of having play in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing.

In the wire harness of the present disclosure, it is difficult for the vibration of the flexible tube to be transmitted to the first connector via the wire cover.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view of the connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an engaged state of the male terminal and the female terminal in the connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the test apparatus according to Test Example 1. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of play and the amount of sliding of the terminal according to Test Example 1.

[Explanation of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

<1> The wire harness according to the embodiment is
With electric wires
The first connector provided at the end of the electric wire and
A flexible tube that covers at least a part of the outer circumference of the electric wire,
A tubular electric wire cover for connecting the first connector and the flexible tube is provided.
The first connector comprises a cylindrical first housing.
The electric wire cover includes a first cover portion that covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing.
The first housing and the first cover portion engage with each other in a state of having play in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing.

Engaging the first housing and the first cover portion with play means that the first housing and the first cover portion have a small gap between the first housing and the first cover portion. It means that the part is engaged. By engaging the first housing and the first cover portion of the electric wire cover in a state of having play, the vibration of the flexible tube is suppressed from being transmitted to the first connector through the electric wire cover. Therefore, in the connection structure in which the first connector of the wire harness is connected to the mating connector including the mating terminal, the relative sliding amount between the first terminal and the mating terminal due to vibration becomes short. The relative sliding amount is the length at which the first terminal provided in the first connector of the wire harness in the connection structure and the mating terminal provided in the mating connector move relatively.

<2> As one form of the wire harness according to the embodiment,
The wire cover comprises a first and second split pieces that are combined in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing.
The first cover portion includes a first holding piece provided in the first divided piece and a second holding piece provided in the second divided piece.
The first holding piece and the second holding piece sandwich the outer peripheral surface of the first housing from the X direction.
The X direction may be a form in which the first divided piece and the second divided piece are combined.

If the wire cover has a two-piece structure, the work of attaching the wire cover to the first connector and the flexible tube becomes easy. Further, in the configuration in which the first connector is sandwiched between the first holding piece and the second holding piece constituting the first cover portion, the length in the X direction between the first holding piece and the second holding piece is the second. The wire cover and the first connector are engaged with each other in a loose state only by being larger than the outer dimension of the portion sandwiched between the two holding pieces in one housing.

<3> As a form of the wire harness according to the above <2>,
The amount of play in the X direction between the first cover portion and the first housing may be 0.04 mm or more and 0.24 mm or less.

If the amount of backlash in the X direction is 0.04 mm or more, it becomes difficult for the vibration of the flexible tube to be transmitted to the first connector. Further, when the amount of play in the X direction is 0.24 mm or less, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibration to the first connector and prevent the wire cover from coming off from the first connector.

<4> As a form of the wire harness according to the above <2> or <3>,
The length in the X direction between the first holding piece and the second holding piece is outside the X direction of the portion sandwiched between the first holding piece and the second holding piece in the first housing. Examples thereof include a form in which the size is 100.20% or more and 101.60% or less.

If the length in the X direction between the two holding pieces, that is, the distance between the two holding pieces in the X direction is 100.20% or more of the outer dimension of the first housing in the X direction, the vibration of the flexible tube is sent to the first connector. It becomes difficult to convey. If the distance between the two holding pieces is 101.60% or less of the outer dimension of the first housing in the X direction, the wire cover will come off from the first connector while suppressing the transmission of vibration to the first connector. Can be suppressed.

<5> As one form of the wire harness according to the embodiment,
The first housing includes an outer peripheral engaging portion provided at a portion covered by the first cover portion.
The first cover portion includes an inner peripheral engaging portion provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and has an inner peripheral engaging portion.
Examples thereof include a form in which the inner peripheral engaging portion and the outer peripheral engaging portion engage with each other.

By engaging the outer peripheral engaging portion of the first housing and the inner peripheral engaging portion of the first cover portion, the first housing and the electric wire cover are firmly connected. As a result, the wire cover is prevented from coming off from the first connector. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the flexible tube from being displaced from the predetermined position of the wire harness.

<6> As one form of the wire harness according to the embodiment,
The flexible tube is a corrugated tube having a bellows groove on the outer periphery thereof.
The electric wire cover may be provided with an arcuate protrusion that engages with the bellows groove.

By engaging the bellows groove of the corrugated tube with the arcuate protrusion of the wire cover, the corrugated tube and the wire cover are firmly connected. As a result, the corrugated tube is prevented from being displaced from the predetermined position of the electric wire.

[Details of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in the figure indicate the same names. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the embodiment, but is shown by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, the wire harness 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

≪Overall composition≫
The wire harness 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 includes an electric wire 2, a first connector 3, a flexible tube 4, and an electric wire cover 5. FIG. 1 shows a connection structure 100 in which a mating connector 6 is engaged with a first connector 3 of the wire harness 1. The first connector 3 of this example is a female connector, and the mating connector 6 is a male connector. Unlike this example, the first connector 3 provided in the wire harness 1 may be a male connector and the mating connector 6 may be a female connector.

Hereinafter, each configuration of the wire harness 1 of this example will be described in detail. In the explanation, the direction of the wire harness 1 is defined. First, the axial direction of the first connector 3, that is, the axial direction of the cylindrical first housing 30, which is the main component of the first connector 3, is defined as the S direction. Of the directions orthogonal to the S direction, the direction in which the first divided piece 5A and the second divided piece 5B of the electric wire cover 5, which will be described later, are combined is defined as the X direction. Further, the direction orthogonal to the S direction and the X direction is defined as the Y direction. FIG. 3 shows a top view of the connection structure 100 in which the flexible tube 4 and the electric wire cover 5 are cut in a cross section parallel to the SX plane. FIG. 4 shows a side view of the connection structure 100 in which the electric wire cover 5 and the flexible tube 4 are cut in a cross section parallel to the SY plane in the connection structure 100 of FIG.

≪Electric wire≫
The number of electric wires 2 provided in the wire harness 1 is not particularly limited. In the wire harness 1 of this example, there are two sets of four electric wires 2 arranged in the X direction in the Y direction. Therefore, the total number of electric wires 2 is eight. As the electric wire 2, an electric wire 2 having a known configuration can be used. The electric wire 2 may be a power line for supplying electric power or a signal line for transmitting a communication signal.

The electric wire 2 includes a conductor and an insulating coating that covers the outer periphery of the conductor. The outer diameter of the conductor is, for example, 0.8 mm or more and 2.4 mm or less. Further, the thickness of the insulating coating is a thickness that can secure the insulation of the conductor. The electric wire 2 may include a shield layer provided on the outer periphery of the insulating coating and a sheath provided on the outer periphery of the shield layer.

At the end of the electric wire 2, the insulating coating is peeled off, and the conductor is exposed from the insulating coating. The conductor is gripped by the wire barrel of the first terminal 8 (FIG. 5), which will be described later.

≪First connector≫
The first connector 3 of this example collectively stores the ends of the eight electric wires 2. As the first connector 3, a first connector 3 having a known configuration can be used.

The first connector 3 includes a first terminal 8 (FIGS. 2 and 5) electrically connected to the conductor of the electric wire 2, and a cylindrical first housing 30 for accommodating the first terminal 8 inside.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first terminal 8 of this example is a female terminal having a known configuration. The first terminal 8 includes a terminal hole 80 for inserting the pin portion 90 of the mating terminal 9, which is a male terminal. A spring portion 81 is provided inside the terminal hole 80. The pin portion 90 inserted into the terminal hole 80 is pressed against the spring portion 81 and pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the terminal hole 80. As a result, the first terminal 8 and the mating terminal 9 are electrically connected.

The first terminal 8 is connected to a conductor exposed from the insulating coating at the end of each wire 2. The first terminal 8 includes a wire barrel and an insulation barrel (not shown). The wire barrel grips the conductor of the wire 2, and the insulation barrel grips the insulating coating of the wire 2. The number of first terminals 8 corresponds to the number of electric wires 2. In this example, since there are eight electric wires 2, the number of first terminals 8 housed in the first housing 30 is eight.

The first terminal 8 is made of a material having excellent conductivity. Such materials include, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, copper alloys, stainless steel and the like. In particular, stainless steel is preferable because it has excellent strength. The surface of the first terminal 8 is preferably plated with a material having excellent conductivity. Examples of the plating material include tin and silver.

The first housing 30 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is a resin molded product. The first housing 30 of this example has a substantially square tube shape. A lock arm 39 for maintaining a fitted state between the first connector 3 and the mating connector 6 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30. The lock arm 39 is provided with a through hole. When the first connector 3 and the mating connector 6 are connected, the lock piece 69 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mating connector 6 engages with the through hole of the lock arm 39 (FIGS. 1 and 3). As a result, the first connector 3 and the mating connector 6 are less likely to come off in the S direction. When the lock arm 39 is pulled outward, the connection between the connectors 3 and 6 can be released.

The axial length of the first connector 3, that is, the axial length of the first housing 30, is about 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Further, the maximum dimension of the first connector 3 in the direction orthogonal to the S direction, that is, the maximum dimension of the first housing 30 is about 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

≪Flexible tube≫
The flexible tube 4 is a flexible tube that covers a part of the electric wire 2 on the first connector 3 side. The flexible tube 4 of this example covers only the portion of the electric wire 2 in the vicinity of the first connector 3, and does not cover the entire length of the electric wire 2. The flexible tube 4 is made of a resin such as polypropylene.

The flexible tube 4 of this example is a corrugated tube. Therefore, the flexible tube 4 of this example includes a plurality of bellows grooves 46 arranged in the axial direction. Each of the plurality of bellows grooves 46 is independent. The arcuate protrusion 56 (FIGS. 2 to 4) of the electric wire cover 5, which will be described later, engages with the bellows groove 46.

≪Electric wire cover≫
The electric wire cover 5 is a tubular member that connects the first connector 3 and the flexible tube 4. The electric wire cover 5 includes a first cover portion 51, a second cover portion 52, and a third cover portion 53 in this order from the first connector 3 side.

The first cover portion 51 is a portion of the electric wire cover 5 that covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30. The first cover portion 51 and the first housing 30 are engaged with each other in a state of having play in a direction orthogonal to the S direction. The detailed engagement state between the first cover portion 51 and the first housing 30 will be described later.

The second cover portion 52 is mainly a portion that covers the exposed electric wire 2 between the first connector 3 and the flexible tube 4. The second cover portion 52 does not cover the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30, and only the first cover portion 51 covers the outer peripheral surface. The third cover portion 53 is a portion that mainly covers the outer periphery of the flexible tube 4.

The electric wire cover 5 of this example includes a first division piece 5A and a second division piece 5B that are combined in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing 30. The direction in which the first divided piece 5A and the second divided piece 5B are combined is the X direction in this example. Further, the direction orthogonal to the S direction and the X direction is the Y direction in this example.

The first divided piece 5A and the second divided piece 5B are obtained by dividing the electric wire cover 5 into two in the X direction. Therefore, the first divided piece 5A and the second divided piece 5B have substantially symmetrical shapes with the axis in the S direction interposed therebetween. The first divided piece 5A includes a plate-shaped first holding piece 511 having a recess, and the second divided piece 5B includes a plate-shaped second holding piece 512 having a recess. In this example, the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 form a first cover portion 51 that engages with the first housing 30 in a state of having play.

The first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 sandwich the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30 from the X direction. The first holding piece 511 of this example corresponds only to the surface of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30 facing the X direction. Further, the second holding piece 512 of this example also corresponds only to the surface of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30 facing the X direction. That is, in this example, only the two holding pieces 511 and 512 in the electric wire cover 5 overlap the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30 and are engaged with the first housing 30.

The length L1 in the X direction between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 shown in FIG. 3 is from the outer dimension of the portion sandwiched between the two holding pieces 511, 512 in the first housing 30 in the X direction. Is also getting bigger. That is, there is play between the first cover portion 51 composed of both holding pieces 511, 512 and the first housing 30. By engaging the first housing 30 and the first cover portion 51 in a state of having play, the vibration of the flexible tube 4 is suppressed from being transmitted to the first connector 3 via the electric wire cover 5. In this example, since only the two holding pieces 511, 512 are engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30, there is play in the X direction only, and there is no play in the Y direction.

The absolute value of the amount of backlash in the X direction between the first cover portion 51 and the first housing 30 is preferably 0.04 mm or more and 0.24 mm or less. If the amount of backlash in the X direction is 0.04 mm or more, it becomes difficult for the vibration of the flexible tube 4 to be transmitted to the first connector 3. Further, when the amount of backlash in the X direction is 0.24 mm or less, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibration to the first connector 3 and prevent the wire cover 5 from coming off from the first connector 3. A more preferable absolute value of the amount of backlash in the X direction is 0.10 mm or more and 0.20 mm or less.

The amount of play in the X direction may be defined by the ratio of the length L1 to the outer dimensions of the first housing 30. Specifically, the length L1 is preferably 100.20% or more and 101.60% or less of the outer dimension in the X direction of the portion sandwiched between the two holding pieces 511, 512 in the first housing 30. If the length L1 is 100.20% or more of the outer dimension, it becomes difficult for the vibration of the flexible tube 4 to be transmitted to the first connector 3. Further, when the length L1 is 101.60% or less of the outer dimension, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibration to the first connector 3 and the disconnection of the wire cover 5 from the first connector 3. The more preferable length L1 is 100.25% or more and 101.51% or less of the outer dimensions. A more preferable length L1 is 100.63% or more and 101.26% or less of the outer dimensions.

Unlike this example, the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 may have a substantially C-shape when viewed from the S direction. That is, a part of the first holding piece 511 may extend to the surface of the first housing 30 facing the Y direction. In this case, it is preferable that the first cover portion 51 and the first housing 30 have play in the Y direction. The range of the amount of play in the Y direction is the same as the range of the amount of play in the X direction.

The first cover portion 51 includes inner peripheral engaging portions 54 and 55. The inner peripheral engaging portions 54 and 55 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first cover portion 51 facing the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30. More specifically, one inner peripheral engaging portion 54 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and two inner peripherals, respectively, on the inner peripheral surface of the first holding piece 511 and the inner peripheral surface of the second holding piece 512, respectively. Engaging portions 55 and 55 (FIG. 2) are provided.

The inner peripheral engaging portion 54 is an elongated hole-shaped recess recessed in the direction away from the first housing 30 in the X direction. The outer peripheral engaging portion 34 (FIGS. 2 and 3) provided at a portion of the first housing 30 covered by the first cover portion 51 engages with the inner peripheral engaging portion 54. The outer peripheral engaging portion 34 is a protrusion protruding outward in the X direction. The shape of the ridges constituting the outer peripheral engaging portion 34 follows the shape of the recesses constituting the inner peripheral engaging portion 54. It is preferable that the inner peripheral engaging portion 54 and the outer peripheral engaging portion 34 have play in the X direction, the Y direction, and the S direction.

The inner peripheral engaging portion 55 is each columnar protrusion extending toward the first housing 30 in the X direction. The two inner peripheral engaging portions 55, 55 are arranged at positions sandwiching the inner peripheral engaging portion 54 in the Y direction. The outer peripheral engaging portion 35 (FIG. 2) provided at a portion of the first housing 30 covered by the first cover portion 51 engages with the inner peripheral engaging portion 55. The outer peripheral engaging portion 35 is a notch provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30. The shape of the notch constituting the outer peripheral engaging portion 35 follows the shape of the protrusion constituting the inner peripheral engaging portion 55. It is preferable that the inner peripheral engaging portion 55 and the outer peripheral engaging portion 35 have play in the X direction, the Y direction, and the S direction.

By engaging the inner peripheral engaging portions 54, 55 and the outer peripheral engaging portions 34, 35, the first housing 30 and the electric wire cover 5 are firmly connected. As a result, the wire cover 5 is prevented from coming off from the first connector 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the flexible tube 4 from being displaced from the predetermined position of the wire harness 1.

The third cover portion 53 that covers the outer periphery of the flexible tube 4 includes at least one arcuate protrusion 56. The arcuate protrusion 56 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the third cover portion 53. In this example, a plurality of arcuate protrusions 56 are arranged in the S direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the arcuate protrusion 56 engages with the bellows groove 46 of the flexible tube 4 when the wire cover 5 is attached to the flexible tube 4. The shape of the arcuate protrusion 56 follows the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the bellows groove 46. Therefore, the electric wire cover 5 and the flexible tube 4 are firmly connected by engaging the arcuate protrusion 56 of the electric wire cover 5 and the bellows groove 46 of the flexible tube 4. As a result, the flexible tube 4 is prevented from being displaced from the predetermined position of the electric wire 2. There may or may not be play between the third cover portion 53 and the flexible tube 4. If there is play between the third cover portion 53 and the flexible tube 4, the vibration of the first connector 3 is further suppressed. If there is no play between the third cover portion 53 and the flexible tube 4, the electric wire cover 5 suppresses the vibration of the flexible tube 4, and the noise associated with the vibration is reduced.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric wire cover 5 includes a connecting portion for connecting the first divided piece 5A and the second divided piece 5B. The connecting portion of this example includes an engaging projection 57 and an annular piece 58 that form a snap-fit structure. In this example, each of the divided pieces 5A and 5B is provided with two engaging protrusions 57 and two annular pieces 58. More specifically, in the first divided piece 5A, the engagement projection 57 is formed on the upper surface of the second cover portion 52 in the Y direction and the lower surface of the third cover portion 53 in the Y direction. Is provided. Further, in the first divided piece 5A, the annular piece 58 is provided on the lower surface of the paper surface in the Y direction of the second cover portion 52 and the upper surface of the paper surface in the Y direction of the third cover portion 53, respectively. .. In the second divided piece 5B, the annular piece 58 is provided at a position corresponding to the engaging protrusion 57 of the first divided piece 5A, and the engaging protrusion 57 is provided at a position corresponding to the annular piece 58 of the first divided piece 5A. ing. The first split piece 5A and the second split piece 5B are firmly connected by the snap-fit structure at four places.

≪Other connector≫
The mating connector 6 in this example is a male connector. The mating connector 6 includes a mating terminal 9 (FIG. 5) which is a male terminal and a second housing 60 for accommodating the mating terminal 9. Known configurations can be used for the mating terminal 9 and the second housing 60.

The mating terminal 9 (FIG. 5) of the mating connector 6 has a known configuration. In the mating connector 6 of this example, the mating terminal 9 is connected to the end of the electric wire 20. The electric wire 20 has the same configuration as the electric wire 2 provided in the wire harness 1. The conductor of the electric wire 20 is gripped by the wire barrel of the mating terminal 9 (not shown).

The second housing 60 also has a known configuration. The second housing 60 is configured to be insertable into the inside of the first housing 30 of the wire harness 1. A lock piece 69 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second housing 60. The lock piece 69 engages with the through hole of the lock arm 39 of the first housing 30, as described above.

The axial length of the mating connector 6, that is, the axial length of the second housing 60 is about 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Further, the maximum outer dimension of the mating connector 6, that is, the maximum outer dimension of the second housing 60 is about 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

≪Effect≫
In the wire harness 1 of the first embodiment, the first housing 30 and the first cover portion 51 of the electric wire cover 5 are engaged with each other in a state of having play, so that the vibration of the flexible tube 4 is generated via the electric wire cover 5. Transmission to one connector 3 is suppressed. Therefore, even if vibration acts on the connection structure 100 connecting the wire harness 1 and the mating connector 6, the relative sliding amount between the first terminal 8 and the mating terminal 9 becomes short. When the relative sliding amount is shortened, the wear of the first terminal 8 and the mating terminal 9 is suppressed. As a result, it is suppressed that the conductivity between the terminals 8 and 9 is lowered due to the wear of both terminals 8 and 9.

<Test Example 1>
In Test Example 1, the influence of the play formed between the first housing 30 of the first connector 3 and the electric wire cover 5 on the relative sliding amount between the male terminal and the female terminal was investigated. In the test, the following sample No. 1-No. The wire harness 1 of 4 was prepared. Sample No. 1-Sample No. The only difference of the wire harness 1 of 4 is the length L1 (FIG. 3) between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 in the X direction.

<< Sample No. 1 >>
The design dimension of the portion sandwiched between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 in the first housing 30 in the X direction was 15.89 mm. Further, the design dimension of the distance between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 in the X direction was smaller than 15.89 mm. Therefore, the sample No. The amount of backlash in the X direction in the wire harness 1 of 1 is 0 mm. That is, the sample No. The wire harness 1 of 1 is a conventional wire harness.

<< Sample No. 2 >>
Sample No. The amount of backlash in the X direction of the wire harness 1 of 2 was 0.04 mm. That is, the length L1 of both holding pieces 511 and 512 in the X direction is about 100.25% of the outer dimension in the X direction of the portion sandwiched between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 in the first housing 30. Is.

<< Sample No. 3 ≫
Sample No. The amount of backlash in the X direction of the wire harness 1 of No. 3 was 0.11 mm. That is, the length L1 of both holding pieces 511, 512 in the X direction is about 100.69% of the outer dimension in the X direction of the portion sandwiched between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 in the first housing 30. Is.

<< Sample No. 4 ≫
Sample No. The amount of backlash in the X direction of the wire harness 1 of No. 4 was 0.24 mm. That is, the length L1 of both holding pieces 511 and 512 in the X direction is about 101.5% of the outer dimension in the X direction of the portion sandwiched between the first holding piece 511 and the second holding piece 512 in the first housing 30. Is.

≪Test equipment≫
The test apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 6 was manufactured using the wire harness 1 of each sample. In this test apparatus 200, the mating connector 6 was fixed to the first fixing portion 201, and the electric wire 2 of the wire harness 1 was fixed to the second fixing portion 202. The electric wire 2 is sandwiched and fixed to the second fixing portion 202 together with the flexible tube 4. The first connector 3 of the wire harness 1 was fitted to the mating connector 6. In this test device 200, the first connector 3 is fitted to the mating connector 6 so that the X direction of the wire harness 1 faces the vertical direction of the test device 200. The first fixing portion 201 and the second fixing portion 202 are fixed on the base portion 210. This test device 200 is a device that vibrates the entire connection structure 100 together with the base 210 in the vertical direction of the paper surface.

≪Test conditions≫
The test conditions are as follows.
・ Atmospheric temperature: 120 ° C to 130 ° C
・ Vibration acceleration ... 30G
・ Vibration frequency: 40Hz to 300Hz

By the vibration test under the above test conditions, the relative sliding amount between the first terminal 8 and the mating terminal 9 along the axial direction of both terminals 8 and 9 was measured in each sample. Hereinafter, this relative sliding amount is referred to as "terminal sliding amount". From the measurement result of the sliding amount of the terminal, the sliding amount of the terminal showed a peak value at around 100 Hz in all the samples. The result of the peak value is shown in FIG.

The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 is the backlash amount (mm) in the X direction, and the vertical axis is the peak value of the sliding amount of the terminal. The peak value of the sliding amount of the terminal is the sample No. without play. It is a relative value with the peak value of 1 as 100%. As shown in FIG. 7, it was found that the sliding amount of the terminal decreased as the amount of backlash in the X direction increased. In FIG. 7, the sliding amount of the terminal when the backlash amount was 0.24 mm was larger than the sliding amount of the terminal when the backlash amount was 0.11 mm. This is considered to be just a measurement error.

1 Wire harness 2, 20 Wire 3 First connector 30 First housing 34, 35 Outer peripheral engagement part, 39 Lock arm 4 Flexible tube 46 Bellows groove 5 Wire cover 5A First split piece 5B Second split piece 51 First cover Part, 52 Second cover part, 53 Third cover part 54, 55 Inner circumference engaging part, 56 Arc-shaped protrusion, 57 Engaging protrusion, 58 Circular piece 511 First holding piece 512 Second holding piece 6 Mating connector 60 2nd housing, 69 Lock piece 8 1st terminal 80 Terminal hole, 81 Spring part 9 Mating terminal 90 Pin part 100 Connection structure 200 Test equipment 201 1st fixing part, 202 2nd fixing part, 210 base part L1 Length

The inner peripheral engaging portion 55 is a projection of the corner pillar which extends toward the first housing 30 in the X direction. The two inner peripheral engaging portions 55, 55 are arranged at positions sandwiching the inner peripheral engaging portion 54 in the Y direction. The outer peripheral engaging portion 35 (FIG. 2) provided at a portion of the first housing 30 covered by the first cover portion 51 engages with the inner peripheral engaging portion 55. The outer peripheral engaging portion 35 is a notch provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 30. The shape of the notch constituting the outer peripheral engaging portion 35 follows the shape of the protrusion constituting the inner peripheral engaging portion 55. It is preferable that the inner peripheral engaging portion 55 and the outer peripheral engaging portion 35 have play in the X direction, the Y direction, and the S direction.

Claims (6)

With electric wires
The first connector provided at the end of the electric wire and
A flexible tube that covers at least a part of the outer circumference of the electric wire,
A tubular electric wire cover for connecting the first connector and the flexible tube is provided.
The first connector comprises a cylindrical first housing.
The electric wire cover includes a first cover portion that covers a part of the outer peripheral surface of the first housing.
The first housing and the first cover portion engage with each other in a state of having play in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing.
Wire harness. The wire cover comprises a first and second split pieces that are combined in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the first housing.
The first cover portion includes a first holding piece provided in the first divided piece and a second holding piece provided in the second divided piece.
The first holding piece and the second holding piece sandwich the outer peripheral surface of the first housing from the X direction.
The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the X direction is a direction in which the first divided piece and the second divided piece are combined. The wire harness according to claim 2, wherein the amount of play in the X direction between the first cover portion and the first housing is 0.04 mm or more and 0.24 mm or less. The length in the X direction between the first holding piece and the second holding piece is outside the X direction of the portion sandwiched between the first holding piece and the second holding piece in the first housing. The wire harness according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the size is 100.20% or more and 101.60% or less. The first housing includes an outer peripheral engaging portion provided at a portion covered by the first cover portion.
The first cover portion includes an inner peripheral engaging portion provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and has an inner peripheral engaging portion.
The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner peripheral engaging portion and the outer peripheral engaging portion engage with each other. The flexible tube is a corrugated tube having a bellows groove on the outer periphery thereof.
The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the electric wire cover includes an arcuate protrusion that engages with the bellows groove.

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