JP2023079261A - Protector, wire harness, and lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a protector, a wire harness, and a lock mechanism capable of properly locking a locking object.SOLUTION: A protector 1 applied to a wire harness WH has a body part 10 and a locking mechanism 100. The locking mechanism 100 has a flexible arm part 110 extending in a cantilever fashion along a detachable direction Z1 intersecting an axial direction X of a corrugated tube C1 from wall parts 10a and 10b of the body part 10, elastically deformable along a width direction Y intersecting the detachable direction Z1, and in which an end part of the corrugated tube C1 can be locked at a locking position L1 within a housing space part 30, and a deformation regulation part 120 extending in the cantilever fashion along the detachable direction Z1 from the wall parts 10a and 10b, located with an interval on an opposite side from a side where the corrugated tube C1 is located with respect to the width direction from the flexible arm part 110, and elastically deformable together with the flexible arm part 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

The present invention relates to protectors, wire harnesses, and locking mechanisms.

BACKGROUND ART A protector is known as a part that is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, is incorporated into a wire harness, and protects wiring materials such as electric wires. For example, in the protector described in Patent Document 1, an upper protector body having a concave cross section is fitted into a lower protector body with a wire inserted into the lower protector body having a concave cross section. In this protector, both side walls of the upper protector body are superimposed on the inner surfaces of both side walls of the lower protector body, and the protector body is closed by a lid in a state in which electric wires are passed through the protector body of the upper layer. are connected and fixed by locking means provided on both side walls of the protector body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-201392

By the way, the protector as described above may hold, for example, a plurality of laminated end portions of an exterior material such as a corrugated tube through which a wiring material is inserted. In such a case, the first exterior material It is necessary to store the end of the second exterior material on the back side of the protector, and then install the end of the second exterior material on the front side of the protector. In this case, the exterior material previously stored in the protector may float forward before a new exterior material is installed due to, for example, a change in the tension of the wire harness. For this reason, such a protector is desired to have a lock mechanism for appropriately locking an object to be locked, such as an exterior material, stored in advance, at a desired locking position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a protector, a wire harness, and a locking mechanism capable of properly retaining an object to be locked.

In order to achieve the above object, the protector according to the present invention is provided with a main body through which a conductive wiring member is inserted into a storage space formed by a wall, and an end of the main body, a lock mechanism capable of locking an end portion of the exterior material into which the wiring material is inserted; A flexible arm that extends in a holding shape and is elastically deformable along a width direction intersecting with the attachment/detachment direction, and is capable of locking an end portion of the exterior material at a locking position within the storage space. extending from the wall portion in a cantilevered manner along the attachment/detachment direction and spaced apart from the flexible arm portion on the side opposite to the side on which the exterior material is positioned with respect to the width direction. and a deformation restricting portion that is elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion.

In order to achieve the above object, a wire harness according to the present invention includes a wiring member having conductivity, an exterior member through which the wiring member is inserted, and a storage space formed by a wall portion. A body portion through which a wiring member is inserted, and a protector having a lock mechanism capable of locking an end portion of the exterior member, wherein the lock mechanism intersects the axial direction of the exterior member from the wall portion. It extends in a cantilever shape along the attachment/detachment direction and is elastically deformable along the width direction intersecting the attachment/detachment direction, and the end portion of the exterior material is locked at the locking position within the storage space. a flexible arm portion extending from the wall portion in a cantilevered manner along the attachment/detachment direction, and the side on which the exterior material is positioned from the flexible arm portion with respect to the width direction It is characterized in that it has a deformation restricting portion which is located on the opposite side with a gap therebetween and which is elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion.

In order to achieve the above object, a locking mechanism according to the present invention extends in a cantilevered manner from a support structure along an attachment/detachment direction of a member to be locked, and is elastic in a width direction intersecting the attachment/detachment direction. a flexible arm portion that is deformable and capable of locking the member to be locked at a locking position; a deformation restricting portion positioned on a side opposite to the side where the locked member is positioned with respect to the width direction from the portion and being elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion. do.

The protector, wire harness, and lock mechanism according to the present invention have the effect of being able to properly lock an object to be locked at a desired locking position.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a wire harness to which a protector according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a wire harness to which the protector according to the embodiment is applied. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a wire harness to which the protector according to the embodiment is applied. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a wire harness to which the protector according to the embodiment is applied. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the protector according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the main body of the protector according to the embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the locking mechanism. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional front view illustrating assembly of the protector according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional front view illustrating assembly of the protector according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front view illustrating assembly of the protector according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional front view illustrating assembly of the protector according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional front view illustrating assembly of the protector according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a lock mechanism according to a modification.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment which concerns on this invention is described in detail based on drawing. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment. In addition, components in the following embodiments include components that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or components that are substantially the same.

[Embodiment]
The wire harness WH shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, for example, bundles a plurality of wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication for connection between devices mounted on a vehicle, and forms an aggregate part. A plurality of wiring members W are connected to each device by a connector or the like.

The wire harness WH includes an electrically conductive wiring material W, a corrugated tube C as an exterior material through which the wiring material W is inserted, and a protector 1 . In addition, the protector 1 is configured by a plurality of walls (side walls 10a and 10b and a bottom 10c, which will be described later), and a body portion through which the wiring material W is inserted into a storage space 30 formed by the walls. 10 and a locking mechanism 100 capable of locking the end of the corrugated tube C. As shown in FIG. In addition, the wire harness WH may further include a grommet, a fixture, a connector, and the like.

The wiring member W is, for example, an insulated wire in which a core wire in which a plurality of conductive metal wires are bundled is covered with an insulating coating. In addition, the wiring material W may be a bundle of a plurality of insulated wires. Also, the wiring member W may be an insulated metal rod obtained by coating a conductive metal rod with an insulating coating.

The corrugated tube C protects the wiring material W through which the wiring material W is inserted. The corrugated tube C is formed in a flexible tubular shape from an insulating resin material or the like. The corrugated tube C has an annular concave-convex portion Ca formed along the circumferential direction on the outer surface thereof, and has a bellows shape in which a plurality of the concave-convex portions Ca are provided along the extending direction (an axial direction X described later). (See also FIG. 5, etc.). In addition, the corrugated tube C may be formed with a slit for inserting the wiring material W therein along the extending direction. Moreover, in this embodiment, the corrugated tube C is described as an example of the exterior material, but the type of the exterior material is not particularly limited. The exterior material may be, for example, a metal pipe made of a metal material.

The protector 1 holds the end of the corrugated tube C, and houses and protects the wiring material W inserted inside the corrugated tube C. When the wiring material W is fixed to the vehicle, the protector 1 It is used as a member that regulates the wiring route. In the protector 1 of the present embodiment, the lock mechanism 100 is applied as a lock structure for properly locking the end of the corrugated tube C, so that the corrugated tube C can be held in a desired position within the protector 1. It realizes a structure that can be appropriately locked at the stop position (the locking position L1 shown in FIGS. 3, 9, and 11). Hereinafter, each configuration of the protector 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. FIG.

In the following description, among the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction, the first direction will be referred to as the “axial direction X”, the second direction will be referred to as the “width direction Y”, and the third direction will be referred to as the “width direction Y”. The direction is called "stacking direction Z". The axial direction X, the width direction Y, and the stacking direction Z are orthogonal to each other. The axial direction X is typically the extending direction of the corrugated tube C held by the protector 1, the inserting direction of the wiring member W into the protector 1, the extending direction of the wiring member W inserted through the protector 1, and the like. corresponds to In addition, the stacking direction Z is typically the direction in which the corrugated tube C held at the end of the protector 1 is stacked, the attachment/detachment direction Z1 of the corrugated tube C with respect to the protector 1 (see FIG. 3, etc.), or the like. Equivalent to. Unless otherwise specified, each direction used in the following description is the direction in which each part of the protector 1 is assembled.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the protector 1 has a main body in which a wiring member W having conductivity is inserted into a storage space 30 formed by side wall portions 10a and 10b as wall portions and a bottom portion 10c. and a lid portion 20 that is assembled to the body portion 10 and closes an opening 10d formed in the body portion 10 . The main body 10 has a locking mechanism 40 that holds the lid 20 in the closed position, and a corrugated tube C that is provided at the end of the main body 10 and has the wiring material W inserted therein. and a locking mechanism 100 that can be stopped.

The protector 1 is formed into a substantially rectangular tubular shape with both ends in the axial direction X opened as a whole by assembling the lid portion 20 to the main body portion 10 . In the protector 1, the storage space 30 formed in the main body 10 is surrounded by the main body 10 and the lid 20, so that the end of the corrugated tube C and the end of the corrugated tube C are exposed. The wiring member W thus formed can be inserted along the axial direction X to be wired.

In addition, the protector 1 can accommodate the ends of the pair of corrugated tubes C in the stacking direction Z with the lock mechanism 100 interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the body portion 10 includes a pair of side wall portions 10a and 10b and a bottom portion 10c. A pair of side wall portions 10a and 10b and a bottom portion 10c of the main body portion 10 are integrated to form a U-shaped cross section along the stacking direction Z. As shown in FIG.

The pair of side wall portions 10a and 10b are both formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the width direction Y being the plate thickness direction, and are positioned opposite each other with a gap along the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. Moreover, the side wall portions 10a and 10b extend along the axial direction X and the stacking direction Z. As shown in FIG. Here, the side wall portion 10a and the side wall portion 10b are formed so that the lengths along the axial direction X and the stacking direction Z are substantially equal.

The bottom portion 10c is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape whose plate thickness direction is the stacking direction Z, is positioned between the pair of side wall portions 10a and 10b in the width direction Y, and both end portions of the side wall portions 10a and 10b connected with Further, the bottom portion 10c extends along the width direction Y and the axial direction X. As shown in FIG. More specifically, the bottom portion 10c has a side wall portion 10a extending along the stacking direction Z from one end in the width direction Y, and a side wall portion 10b extending along the stacking direction Z from the other end of the width direction Y. It stands on the same side as the side wall portion 10a. Also, the bottom portion 10c extends along the axial direction X from one end of the side wall portions 10a and 10b to the other end thereof.

Further, the body portion 10 forms a storage space portion 30 with the side wall portions 10a and 10b and the bottom portion 10c. The storage space 30 is a space in which the end of the corrugated tube C and the wiring member W exposed from the end of the corrugated tube C are positioned.

The lid portion 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with a size capable of closing an opening (corresponding to the opening 10d of the main body portion 10) between the pair of side wall portions 10a and 10b. Further, the lid portion 20 extends along the axial direction X and the width direction Y in a state in which the opening 10d of the main body portion 10 is closed (see FIG. 1 and the like).

The lid portion 20 closes the opening 10d of the main body portion 10 when attached to the end portions of the side wall portions 10a and 10b opposite to the bottom portion 10c side in the stacking direction Z. As shown in FIG. At this time, the lid portion 20 is locked to the side wall portions 10a and 10b via the locking mechanism 40, so that the lid portion 20 is held in the closing position for closing the opening 10d of the main body portion 10, and is held in the stacking direction Z. are spaced apart from each other on the opposite side of the bottom portion 10c.

As shown in FIG. 1, the locking mechanism 40 includes a plurality of pieces to be locked 11 provided on the side walls 10a and 10b of the main body 10 and the lid 20 provided corresponding to each piece to be locked 11. and a locking piece 21. The engaged piece 11 and the engaging piece 21 are provided on both sides of the body portion 10 and the lid portion 20 in the width direction Y, two each, for a total of four sets. Each locked piece 11 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the width direction Y being the plate thickness direction. Each locked piece 11 is provided outside the side wall portions 10a and 10b in the width direction Y, and is positioned to face the side wall portions 10a and 10b with a gap along the width direction Y, Two of them are provided along the axial direction X with an interval therebetween. Each piece to be locked 11 is supported by the outer wall surface of each side wall portion 10a, 10b via a support portion or the like, and is a portion into which a locking protrusion 22 provided on the locking piece 21 is inserted. A hole 12 is provided. Each locking hole 12 is open along the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the locking piece 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the width direction Y being the plate thickness direction. Each locking piece 21 extends from the lid portion 20 along the stacking direction Z, and the tip side thereof protrudes outward in the width direction Y from the end portion in the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. Each locking piece 21 is provided with a locking protrusion 22 as a portion inserted into the locking hole 12 provided in the locked piece 11 . Each locking protrusion 22 is formed in a claw shape so as to protrude outward in the width direction Y from each locking piece 21 .

When the body portion 10 and the lid portion 20 are assembled to the body portion 10 in which the ends of the pair of corrugated tubes C are housed, the corrugated tubes C housed in the housing space portion 30 have uneven portions Ca formed on the outer surfaces thereof. It has a meshing portion 50 that meshes with.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the meshing portion 50 includes a plurality of main body side meshing portions 13 provided on the main body portion 10 and a plurality of lid portion side meshing portions 23 provided on the lid portion 20 . The body portion side meshing portion 13 and the lid portion side meshing portion 23 are provided three each at intervals along the axial direction X. As shown in FIG. Each body-side meshing portion 13 is formed on the inner wall surface of the bottom portion 10c, that is, the inner wall surface facing the storage space portion 30, and meshes with the uneven portion Ca of the corrugated tube C on the bottom portion 10c side. On the other hand, each of the lid-side meshing portions 23 is formed on the inner wall surface of the lid portion 20, that is, the inner wall surface facing the storage space portion 30, and meshes with the uneven portion Ca of the corrugated tube C on the opening 10d side. More specifically, each meshing portion 50 includes a portion curved along the width direction Y to match the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube C on each inner wall surface. Further, each meshing portion 50 is formed in a tapered shape from the projecting base end side of the meshing portion 50 on the inner wall surface side toward the projecting distal end side on the storage space portion 30 side.

In addition, in the above description, the cover portion 20 is described as being formed separately from the main body portion 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lid portion 20 may be formed integrally with the main body portion 10 so as to be rotatably supported by the side wall portion 10a or the like via a hinge connection portion or the like.

The lock mechanism 100 is provided at an end portion of the body portion 10 with respect to the axial direction X, and is provided halfway with respect to the stacking direction Z of the body portion 10 (see FIGS. 2, 4, 6, etc.). ). In the protector 1, when the corrugated tubes C are housed in the housing space part 30 and the lid part 20 is assembled to the main body part 10, the ends of the pair of corrugated tubes C are held in the stacking direction Z with the lock mechanism 100 interposed therebetween. Stackable for storage (see Figure 11). At this time, the end portion of the corrugated tube C on the side of the bottom portion 10c is held by the body portion 10 in the space 31 on the locking position L1 side in the storage space portion 30 (the space on the side of the bottom portion 10c with the lock mechanism 100 interposed therebetween). . In addition, the end of the corrugated tube C on the opening 10d side is closed by the lid portion 20 in a space 32 on the side opposite to the locking position L1 side in the storage space portion 30 (a space on the opening 10d side across the lock mechanism 100). retained. In the following description, when distinguishing between the two corrugated tubes C, the corrugated tube C on the bottom 10c side (back side) is referred to as "corrugated tube C1", and the corrugated tube C on the opening 10d side (front side) is referred to as " When there is no particular need to distinguish between the two, it may be simply referred to as the "corrugated tube C".

As shown in FIG. 6, the lock mechanism 100 includes a flexible arm portion 110 extending from each side wall portion 10a, 10b constituting a wall portion, and a flexible arm portion extending from each of the side wall portions 10a, 10b. 110 and a deformation restricting portion 120 provided with a space therebetween. In addition, the outer side here means the side opposite to the side where each corrugated tube C is located (storage space part 30 side) with respect to the width direction Y from the flexible arm part 110. As shown in FIG.

The flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 are provided in two slits 10e (see FIGS. 2 and 4) formed from the side wall portions 10a and 10b to the bottom portion 10c, and accommodated in the width direction Y. They are provided in a pair so as to face each other with the space portion 30 interposed therebetween. Each flexible arm portion 110 includes a guide portion 111 provided on the proximal end side and a locking portion 112 provided on the distal end side (see FIG. 6). In the following description, when distinguishing between the two flexible arm portions 110, the flexible arm portion 110 extending from the side wall portion 10a is referred to as the “flexible arm portion 110a”, and the flexible arm portion 110 extending from the side wall portion 10b is referred to as the “flexible arm portion 110a”. The flexible arm portion 110 will be referred to as the “flexible arm portion 110b”, and may simply be referred to as the “flexible arm portion 110” when there is no particular need to distinguish between the two. Also, when distinguishing between the two deformation restricting portions 120, they are distinguished in the same manner as the flexible arm portion 110, and are referred to as "deformation restricting portion 120a" and "deformation restricting portion 120b". Also, when distinguishing between the guide portion 111 and the locking portion 112 formed on each flexible arm portion 110, the guide portion 111 and the locking portion 112 formed on the flexible arm portion 110a are referred to as the "guide portion 111a" and "the guide portion 111a". The guide portion 111 and the locking portion 112 formed on the flexible arm portion 110b are referred to as the "guide portion 111b" and the "locking portion 112b", respectively, when there is no particular need to distinguish between them. may be simply referred to as "guide portion 111" and "locking portion 112". Further, in the lock mechanism 100 of the wire harness WH to which the protector 1 according to the present embodiment is applied, the side wall portions 10a and 10b of the main body portion 10 correspond to the support structure, and the corrugated tube stored in the storage space portion 30 C1 corresponds to the locked member.

The pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b extend in a cantilever manner along the stacking direction Z of the corrugated tubes C from the side wall portions 10a and 10b in each slit 10e. Also, the pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b are configured to be elastically deformable along the width direction Y intersecting the stacking direction Z. As shown in FIG. With this configuration, the pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b can have higher flexibility in the width direction Y than the respective side wall portions 10a and 10b.

Also, the pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b are provided so as to protrude toward the storage space portion 30 side. Furthermore, the pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b extend from the side wall portions 10a and 10b and are provided so as to narrow the distance D1 between the side wall portions 10a and 10b that define the width of the storage space portion 30. It includes a rising portion and an extension portion extending from the rising portion and provided along the stacking direction Z. As shown in FIG. The pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b are formed to protrude toward the storage space portion 30, so that at least a portion of the storage space portion 30 in the stacking direction Z becomes a space on the side of the bottom portion 10c (hereinafter referred to as a storage space). A space 31 in the space portion 30) and a space on the side of the opening 10d (hereinafter referred to as a space 32 in the storage space portion 30). Further, the pair of flexible arm portions 110a and 110b contact the corrugated tube C1 moved into the space 31 in the storage space portion 30, thereby locking the end of the corrugated tube C1 at the locking position L1.

A pair of guide portions 111a and 111b are provided on the proximal end side of each flexible arm portion 110a and 110b. More specifically, it is provided between the rising portion and the extending portion of each flexible arm portion 110a, 110b, and is provided on the inner wall surface in the width direction Y of each flexible arm portion 110a, 110b. Also, the pair of guide portions 111a and 111b are positioned facing each other along the width direction Y with a gap therebetween.

Also, the pair of guide portions 111a and 111b are formed in a tapered shape so as to narrow the distance D2 between the opposing object along the width direction Y toward the distal end side of the flexible arm portion 110. . The distance D<b>2 from the opposing object here means the distance between the guide portions 111 a and 111 b that define the width of the storage space portion 30 .

A pair of locking portions 112 a and 112 b are provided on the distal end side of the flexible arm portion 110 . More specifically, it is provided on the extending portion of the flexible arm portion 110 and is provided on the inner wall surface in the width direction Y of each of the flexible arm portions 110a and 110b. Also, the pair of locking portions 112a and 112b are positioned to face each other with a gap along the width direction Y. As shown in FIG.

Also, the pair of locking portions 112a and 112b are formed in a tapered shape so as to widen the distance D3 between the opposing object along the width direction Y toward the distal end side of the flexible arm portion 110. be. The distance D<b>3 from the opposing object here means the distance between the engaging portions 112 a and 112 b that define the width of the storage space portion 30 . The corrugated tube C1, which is locked at the locking position L1, is pulled from the locking position L1 by, for example, a force generated upward due to a change in the tension of the wire harness (also called a levitation force applied to the corrugated tube C1). There is a case where it tries to move from the side of the opening 10d. The pair of locking portions 112a and 112b are formed in a tapered shape so that they are in contact with the corrugated tube C1 and prevent the corrugated tube C1, which is an object to be locked, from being damaged.

A pair of deformation restricting portions 120a and 120b extend in a cantilever manner along the stacking direction Z from the side wall portions 10a and 10b in each slit 10e. Also, the pair of deformation restricting portions 120a and 120b are configured to be elastically deformable along the width direction Y intersecting the stacking direction Z. As shown in FIG. Also, the pair of deformation restricting portions 120a and 120b are provided at positions where the distal end sides of the flexible arm portions 110a and 110b bent outward can come into contact (see FIG. 7 in particular). Therefore, when the respective flexible arm portions 110a and 110b come into contact with each of the deformation restricting portions 120a and 120b, the respective deformation restricting portions 120a and 120b apply the reaction force of the external force to the respective flexible arm portions 110a and 110b and elastically move together with the respective flexible arm portions 110a and 110b. Deform (see in particular FIG. 8).

Next, the operation of assembling the protector 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. FIG.

First, the operator assembles the corrugated tube C<b>1 into which the wiring material W is inserted to the main body 10 . At this time, the worker inserts the end portion of the corrugated tube C1 into the storage space 30 along the stacking direction Z so that the extending direction of the corrugated tube C1 is aligned with the axial direction X.

Then, the operator pushes the corrugated tube C1 from the space 32 in the storage space 30 toward the space 31. - 特許庁Specifically, the operator brings the corrugated tube C1 into an unloaded state (when the corrugated tube C1 is pushed) by bringing the corrugated tube C1 into contact with the guide portion 111 of the flexible arm portion 110 and applying an external force (pushing force). The state of not contacting the flexible arm portion 110) is changed to the initial state (the state of contacting the flexible arm portion 110 and further starting to move toward the bottom portion 10c). At this time, since the guide portion 111 is provided on the proximal end side of the flexible arm portion 110 , only the flexible arm portion 110 is deflected outward by the pushing force to guide the corrugated tube C<b>1 to the space 31 . Further, the guide portion 111 is formed in a tapered shape, so that the flexible arm portion 110 is gradually expanded by the pressing force with respect to the corrugated tube C1.

Then, the operator further pushes the corrugated tube C1 to bring the outwardly bent flexible arm portion 110 into contact with the deformation restricting portion 120 (see FIG. 7). Specifically, by applying a pressing force to the corrugated tube C1, the operator moves the corrugated tube C1 from the initial state to the transition state (applying an external force to the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 and moving the corrugated tube C1 toward the bottom portion 10c). state to move to). At this time, the deformation restricting portion 120 operates to apply a reaction force to the external force applied from the flexible arm portion 110 to the flexible arm portion 110 . Therefore, the pushing force required to bend the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 outward is greater than the pushing force necessary to bend only the flexible arm portion 110 outward. However, the pressing force required to bend the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 outward is such that only the flexible arm portion 110 is bent outward due to the tapered shape of the guide portion 111 . It gradually increases from the pushing force in the initial state. Therefore, it becomes easier for the operator to apply a pushing force to the corrugated tube C with the guide portion 111 .

Then, the operator bends the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 outward (see FIG. 8) to store the corrugated tube C1 in the space 31 inside the storage space portion 30 . Specifically, by applying a pushing force to the corrugated tube C1, the operator changes the corrugated tube C1 from the transition state to the completed state (the state in which the movement is completed and stored in the space 31 in the storage space section 30). change to At this time, the flexible arm portion 110 is retracted from the storage space portion 30 side. Therefore, the operator can get over the lock mechanism 100 and move the corrugated tube C1 to the space 31 in the storage space portion 30 . In addition, when the corrugated tube C1 climbs over the flexible arm portion 110 when moving into the space 31 in the storage space portion 30, the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 elastically return to their original positions and are flexible. The arm portion 110 returns to the position protruding toward the storage space portion 30 side. Therefore, the main body 10 having the locking mechanism 100 holds the end of the corrugated tube C1 by the walls (side walls 10a and 10b), the bottom 10c, and the main body side meshing portion 13 of the main body 10, and is flexible. It is locked by the locking portion 112 of the arm portion 110 (see FIG. 9). Further, when the corrugated tube C1 attempts to move from the locking position L1 to the opening 10d side due to the levitation force, the deformation restricting portion 120 is deformed by the flexible arm portion 110 when an external force is applied from the flexible arm portion 110 bent outward. , and the flexible arm portion 110 operates so that it is difficult to bend. Therefore, the main body 10 having the locking mechanism 100 can properly lock the corrugated tube C1 stored in the space 31 in the storage space 30 at the locking position L1.

Then, the operator assembles the corrugated tube C2 to the body portion 10. As shown in FIG. At this time, the worker inserts the corrugated tube C2 into the storage space portion 30 and stores it in the space 32 inside the storage space portion 30 (see FIG. 10). The corrugated tube C2 is in a state in which the ends of the corrugated tube C1 are held by the wall portions (side wall portions 10a and 10b) of the main body portion 10, the bottom portion 10c, and the main body side meshing portion 13, and locked by the lock mechanism 100. , and stored in the space 32 of the storage space portion 30 .

Then, the operator assembles the lid portion 20 to the main body portion 10 via the locking mechanism 40 (see FIG. 11). By this assembling operation, the protector 1 stacks the corrugated tubes C1 and C2 while holding the ends of the corrugated tube C2 by the walls (side walls 10a and 10b) of the main body 10 and the lid-side meshing portion 23. It can be stowed along the direction Z. Then, the protector 1 is in a state in which the wiring material W exposed from the end of each corrugated tube C is inserted into the storage space 30 of the main body 10 and wired.

The protector 1, the wire harness WH, and the lock mechanism 100 described above extend in a cantilevered manner along the stacking direction Z (the attachment/detachment direction Z1) from the wall portions (side wall portions 10a and 10b) serving as the support structure. In addition, a flexible arm portion 110 elastically deformable along the width direction Y, and a cantilever extending from the wall portion along the lamination direction Z in the width direction Y from the flexible arm portion 110 It has a deformation restricting portion 120 which is located on the side opposite to the side on which the exterior material (corrugated tube C) as a locked member is located with a gap therebetween and which is elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion 110 . According to such a configuration, when the deformation restricting portion 120 bends together with the flexible arm portion 110, the flexible arm portion 110 moves the corrugated tube C into the space 31 (the space on the locking position L1 side) in the storage space portion 30. can be moved to In addition, the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 elastically return to their original positions when the corrugated tube C1 climbs over the flexible arm portion 110 when moving into the space 31 in the storage space portion 30 . Therefore, the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 can appropriately lock the end portion of the corrugated tube C1 that has moved into the space 31 inside the storage space portion 30 at the locking position L1.

More specifically, the lock mechanism 100 is provided with the deformation restricting portion 120 on the outer side of the flexible arm portion 110 so that the corrugated tube C can be held at the locking position L1 while suppressing the pressing force required in the initial state of the assembly operation. A sufficient holding force for locking can be ensured. In general, when the member to be locked such as the corrugated tube C bends the locking member such as the flexible arm portion 110 outward, the thickness of the locking member is set to You can take a way to make it thinner. However, if the thickness of the locking member is reduced, there arises a problem that a sufficient holding force for locking the locked member at the desired locking position cannot be ensured. Moreover, if the thickness of the locking member is increased to ensure the holding force, there arises a problem that the pressing force applied to the locked member increases. Therefore, the lock mechanism 100 solves these problems by providing the deformation restricting portion 120 on the outer side of the flexible arm portion 110 without changing the thickness of the flexible arm portion 110 as the locking member. there is According to such a configuration, the lock mechanism 100 can improve the working efficiency of the operator by ensuring the holding force while ensuring the easiness of bending of the locking member.

Furthermore, the protector 1, the wire harness WH, and the flexible arm portion 110 of the lock mechanism 100 described above move the corrugated tube C along the stacking direction Z toward the locking position L1. When an external force (pushing force) is applied due to the contact of the flexible arm portion 110, the deformation restricting portion 120 is elastically deformed along the width direction Y. It elastically deforms together with the flexible arm portion 110 while being applied to the flexible arm portion 110 . According to such a configuration, when the corrugated tube C moves from the space 31 to the space 32 in the storage space 30 due to the levitation force, the deformation restricting part 120 bends outward and contacts the flexible arm part 110 . , and the flexible arm portion 110 operates so that it is difficult to bend. Therefore, the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 can appropriately lock the corrugated tube C1 stored in the space 31 inside the storage space portion 30 at the locking position L1.

Further, the protector 1, the wire harness WH, the flexible arm portion 110 of the locking mechanism 100, and the deformation restricting portion 120 described above are provided as a pair facing each other across the storage space portion 30 in the width direction Y, The flexible arm portion 110 is provided so as to protrude toward the storage space portion 30 side. According to such a configuration, the flexible arm portion 110 divides at least part of the storage space portion 30 into the space on the side of the bottom portion 10c (the space 31 in the storage space portion 30) and the opening 10d in the stacking direction Z. It can be divided into a space on the side (a space 32 in the storage space portion 30). Further, the flexible arm portion 110 can properly lock the corrugated tube C at the locking position L1 by contacting the corrugated tube C stored in the space 31 inside the storage space portion 30 .

Furthermore, the protector 1 , the wire harness WH, and the flexible arm portion 110 of the lock mechanism 100 described above have a guide portion 111 provided on the proximal end side. It is formed to have a tapered shape that narrows the distance D2 from the opposing object that faces along the width direction Y toward the side. According to such a configuration, the guide portion 111 is provided on the proximal end side of the flexible arm portion 110, so that only the flexible arm portion 110 is bent outward by the pushing force, and the corrugated tube C is moved into the storage space. It can be guided to the space 31 in the part 30 . In addition, since the guide portion 111 is formed in a tapered shape, the flexible arm portion 110 is gradually expanded by the pushing force against the corrugated tube C, and the pushing force required for pushing the corrugated tube C is gradually released. increase to Therefore, the operator can easily apply force to the corrugated tube C by means of the guide portion 111 .

Furthermore, the protector 1, the wire harness WH, and the flexible arm portion 110 of the locking mechanism 100 described above are in contact with the deformation restricting portion 120 in a no-load state in which the corrugated tube C is not in contact with the flexible arm portion 110. 1/3 or more and 1/2 or less of the length of the corrugated tube C along the stacking direction Z is moved from the proximal end of the flexible arm portion 110 to the locking position L1 side, the deformation restricting portion 120. With such a configuration, the lock mechanism 100 is characterized in that it is easy to bend outward against the pushing force applied to the corrugated tube C, and it is difficult to bend outward against the lifting force applied to the corrugated tube C. Specifically, the worker only has to bend the flexible arm portion 110 outward through the corrugated tube C in a no-load state, so that the pressing force applied to the corrugated tube C can be suppressed. After the corrugated tube C has moved into the space 31 inside the storage space 30 to some extent, the operator feels a reaction force applied from the deformation restricting portion 120 to the flexible arm portion 110 . The operator needs to increase the pushing force according to the reaction force, but generally, the width of a cylindrical member such as a corrugated tube is maximized at the center of its height. The flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 can be bent by the momentum of pushing the member.

Further, the protector 1, the wire harness WH, and the flexible arm portion 110 of the lock mechanism 100 described above are provided on the distal end side and are engaged with the end portion of the corrugated tube C at the locking position L1 to contact and lock. A stopping portion 112 is provided, and the engaging portion 112 has a tapered shape provided so as to widen the distance D3 between the opposing object along the width direction Y toward the distal end side of the flexible arm portion 110. formed to be According to such a configuration, when the corrugated tube C locked at the locking position L1 is about to move from the locking position L1 toward the opening 10d due to the levitation force, the locking portion 112 is arranged to move the corrugated tube C. can be in face-to-face contact with Therefore, the locking portion 112 can prevent the corrugated tube C1, which is the object to be locked, from being damaged.

Furthermore, the protector 1 , the wire harness WH, and the lock mechanism 100 described above are provided with a lid portion 20 that is assembled to the body portion 10 and closes the opening formed in the body portion 10 . The storage space 30 can store the ends of the pair of corrugated tubes C in the stacking direction Z with the lock mechanism 100 interposed therebetween, and one of the pair of corrugated tubes C (corrugated tube C1) can be stored. is held by the lock mechanism 100 in the space 31 on the locking position L1 side in the storage space 30, and the other of the pair of corrugated tubes C (corrugated tube C2) is held by the lid 20 at its end. It is held in a space 32 on the side opposite to the locking position L1 side in the storage space 30 . According to such a configuration, the corrugated tube C2 has the ends of the corrugated tube C1 held by the walls (side walls 10a and 10b) of the main body 10, the bottom 10c, and the main body-side meshing portion 13, and locked. It is stored in the space 32 of the storage space part 30 while being locked by the mechanism 100 . Further, the protector 1, the wire harness WH, and the lock mechanism 100 are configured such that the end of the corrugated tube C2 is held by the walls (side walls 10a and 10b) of the main body 10 and the lid-side engaging portion 23, and the corrugated tube C1 is connected to the corrugated tube C1. , C2 can be accommodated along the stacking direction Z. FIG. Therefore, the work efficiency of the worker can be improved.

The protector 1, the wire harness WH, and the lock mechanism 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above are not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. be. For example, the thickness (the length along the width direction Y) of the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 is not particularly limited. By changing the thickness of the deformation restricting portion 120 that can apply a reaction force to the flexible arm portion 110, it is possible to adjust the pressing force and the holding force with respect to the object to be locked.

Also, although it has been described that the flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 are provided as a pair in the width direction Y, the number thereof is not particularly limited. The flexible arm portion 110 and the deformation restricting portion 120 may be provided on one side with respect to the width direction Y.

Also, the flexible arm portion 110 may not include the guide portion 111 and the locking portion 112 .

Moreover, although the form which laminated|stacked and accommodated the corrugated tube C1 and C2 in the protector 1 was demonstrated, the accommodation form of a corrugated tube is not specifically limited. For example, the corrugated tubes housed in the protector may be only corrugated tubes locked at desired locking positions by the lock mechanism, and the number of corrugated tubes housed is not particularly limited. Further, the number of lock mechanisms applied to the protector and the positions of the lock mechanisms with respect to the main body are not particularly limited.

Also, although the locking mechanism 100 has been described as being applied to the protector 1, it is not limited to the description of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the locking mechanism may be applied to the locking mechanism 40 (the locking hole portion 12 or the locking projection portion 22) of the protector 1 described above, the locking mechanism of fitting parts such as a connector, the fitting lock portion of a bracket, and the like. can be done. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, the form of the fitting lock portion of the bracket will be described as a modification.

A locking mechanism 100A applied to a mating component such as a connector includes a flexible arm portion 210 extending from the support structure 200 and a spaced apart flexible arm portion 210 extending from the support structure 200 to the outside of the flexible arm portion 210. and a deformation restricting portion 220 provided at the same time. In addition, the flexible arm portion 210 includes a projecting portion 211 that can be fitted with the locked member 300 on the distal end side.

The flexible arm portion 210 is cantilevered along the attachment/detachment direction (the direction Z1 shown in FIG. 12, which corresponds to the direction Z; hereinafter referred to as the attachment/detachment direction Z1) of the member to be locked 300 from the support structure 200. and is elastically deformable along the width direction (corresponding to the direction Y shown in FIG. 12; hereinafter referred to as the width direction Y) that intersects with the attachment/detachment direction Z1. This configuration allows the flexible arm portion 210 to have greater flexibility in the width direction Y than the support structure 200 .

The deformation restricting portion 220 extends from the support structure 200 along the attachment/detachment direction Z1 of the locked member 300 in a cantilever shape, and is configured to be elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion 210 . Further, the deformation restricting portion 220 is provided at a position where the distal end side of the flexible arm portion 210 bent outward can come into contact. Therefore, when the flexible arm portion 210 comes into contact with the deformation restricting portion 220 , the deformation restricting portion 220 elastically deforms together with the flexible arm portion 210 while applying the reaction force of the external force to the flexible arm portion 210 .

The locked member 300 includes a hole 310 that can be fitted with the protrusion 211 on the tip side.

The deformation restricting portion 220 of the lock mechanism 100A can bend outward while applying a reaction force to the flexible arm portion 210 . With this configuration, the lock mechanism 100A is likely to flex outward against the pushing force applied to the locked member 300, and flex outward against the lifting force applied to the locked member 300, as in the above-described embodiment. It has the characteristic of being difficult. On the other hand, the lock mechanism 100A locks the locked member 300 in a positional relationship different from that of the above embodiment. Specifically, the lock mechanism 100A is configured such that the protrusion 211 of the flexible arm 210 is inserted into the hole 310 of the member 300 to be locked, so that the lock mechanism 100A can be locked through the protrusion 211. Locking member 300 can be properly locked at a desired locking position (locking position L2 shown in FIG. 12).

The protector, wire harness, and lock mechanism according to this embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the constituent elements of the embodiments and modifications described above.

1 protector 10 main body 10a, 10b side wall (wall, support structure)
20 Lid portion 30 Storage space portion 40 Locking mechanism 50 Engagement portion 100 Locking mechanism 110 Flexible arm portion 111 Guide portion 112 Locking portion 120 Deformation restricting portion C Corrugated tube (exterior material, locked member)
Ca Concavo-convex portion D2 Interval from opposing object (interval between guide portions)
D3 Interval with opposing object (interlocking interval)
L1, L2 Locking position W Wiring material WH Wire harness X Axial direction Y Width direction Z Stacking direction Z1 Detachment direction

Claims (9)

a main body through which a conductive wiring member is inserted into a storage space formed by the wall;
a lock mechanism provided at the end of the main body and capable of locking the end of the exterior material through which the wiring material is inserted;
The locking mechanism is
extending in a cantilever shape from the wall portion along an attachment/detachment direction that intersects with the axial direction of the exterior material, and is elastically deformable along a width direction that intersects with the attachment/detachment direction; a flexible arm portion capable of locking the portion in a locking position within the storage space;
extending from the wall portion in a cantilevered manner along the attachment/detachment direction, and positioned at a distance from the flexible arm portion on the side opposite to the side on which the exterior material is positioned with respect to the width direction. , and a deformation restricting portion that is elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion,
protector. When an external force is applied due to contact with the exterior material accompanying movement of the exterior material toward the locking position along the attachment/detachment direction, the flexible arm section is elastic along the width direction. deformed,
When an external force is applied due to contact with the flexible arm, the deformation restricting portion elastically deforms together with the flexible arm while applying a reaction force to the external force to the flexible arm.
The protector according to claim 1. The flexible arm portion and the deformation restricting portion are provided as a pair in the width direction so as to face each other with the storage space portion interposed therebetween,
The flexible arm portion is positioned so as to protrude toward the storage space portion,
The protector according to claim 1 or 2. The flexible arm portion has a guide portion provided on the proximal side,
The guide portion has a tapered shape provided so as to narrow the distance between the guide portion and the opposing object facing along the width direction toward the distal end side of the flexible arm portion.
The protector according to any one of claims 1-3. The flexible arm portion does not contact the deformation restricting portion in a no-load state in which the exterior material is not in contact with the flexible arm portion,
In a transition state in which 1/3 or more and 1/2 or less of the length of the exterior material along the attachment/detachment direction is moved from the base end of the flexible arm portion toward the locking position, the deformation restricting portion abuts on the deformation restricting portion. touch,
The protector according to any one of claims 1-4. The flexible arm portion has a locking portion provided on the distal end side, which contacts and locks the end portion of the exterior material at the locking position,
The locking portion has a tapered shape provided so as to widen the distance between it and an opposing object that faces along the width direction toward the distal end side of the flexible arm portion.
The protector according to any one of claims 1-5. a lid that is assembled to the main body and closes an opening formed in the main body;
The storage space is capable of storing ends of the pair of exterior materials in the attachment/detachment direction with the lock mechanism interposed therebetween,
One of the pair of exterior materials has an end held in the space on the locking position side in the storage space by the locking mechanism,
The end of the other of the pair of exterior materials is held by the lid portion in a space opposite to the locking position side in the storage space portion,
The protector according to any one of claims 1-6. a conductive wiring material;
an exterior material through which the wiring material is inserted;
A body portion through which the wiring material is inserted into a storage space formed by a wall portion, and a protector having a lock mechanism capable of locking an end portion of the exterior material,
The locking mechanism is
extending in a cantilever shape from the wall portion along an attachment/detachment direction that intersects with the axial direction of the exterior material, and is elastically deformable along a width direction that intersects with the attachment/detachment direction; a flexible arm portion capable of locking the portion in a locking position within the storage space;
extending from the wall portion in a cantilevered manner along the attachment/detachment direction, and positioned at a distance from the flexible arm portion on the side opposite to the side on which the exterior material is positioned with respect to the width direction. , and a deformation restricting portion that is elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion,
wire harness. It extends in a cantilever shape from the support structure along the attachment/detachment direction of the member to be locked, and is elastically deformable in the width direction intersecting the attachment/detachment direction, and engages the member to be locked at the locking position. a flexible arm portion that can be stopped;
extending from the support structure along the attachment/detachment direction in a cantilevered manner, and spaced from the flexible arm portion on the side opposite to the side where the locked member is positioned in the width direction; and a deformation restricting portion that is elastically deformable together with the flexible arm portion,
locking mechanism.

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