JP7163212B2 - Wire harness protector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wire harness protector used in a vehicle steering system.

In a steering device having a telescopic mechanism that allows the position of the steering wheel to be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the excess length is set in advance in the wire harness that is guided forward of the vehicle along the steering shaft from the electrical components in the steering wheel. The connection destination of the wire harness is not affected by the back and forth movement of the steering wheel (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Such a steering device includes a protector that controls movement of the wire harness accompanying movement of the steering wheel in order to prevent the wire harness, which moves when the steering wheel moves back and forth, from interfering with peripheral parts.

For example, in the protector disclosed in Patent Document 1, a wire harness is fixed to a plate-like holding member having a plurality of bent portions. This holding member has a substantially planar shape when the steering wheel is at its movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle, and holds the wire harness linearly in this state. As the steering wheel moves toward the front side of the vehicle, the holding member bends at each bending portion, and the wire harness bends along the bending of the holding member.

Further, in the protector disclosed in Patent Document 2, the wire harness is looped around in the protector, and the diameter of the looped portion of the wire harness changes as the steering wheel moves.

JP-A-8-256423 Japanese Patent No. 2836484

In the protector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the wiring harness is linear when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle. Therefore, when the steering wheel is moved from the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle to the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, the bending change amount of the wire harness becomes large. As a result, there is a problem that the load on the wire harness increases as the steering wheel moves.

Moreover, in Patent Document 2, since the wire harness is looped around the protector, the degree of bending of the wire harness is increased, and there is a problem that the burden on the wire harness is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness protector capable of reducing the load on the wire harness for a steering device.

A wire harness protector which solves the above problems is used in a steering device of a vehicle having a telescopic function, and has a passage through which a wire harness having an extra length for allowing movement of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is passed. A wire harness protector that holds the wire harness passed between a pair of mutually opposing walls constituting the passage so as to be bent in an S shape between the pair of walls, The inner surface of the wall portion is provided with a holding surface that contacts the wire harness and holds the wire harness bent in an S-shape when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle.

According to the above aspect, when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle, that is, when the wire harness is most extended, the wire harness is in contact with the holding surface set on the inner surface of the passage of the protector. The S-curved state is maintained. In other words, since the wire harness is configured so as not to be straight in the most extended state, it is possible to suppress the bending change amount of the wire harness due to the movement of the steering wheel, and as a result, the load applied to the wire harness is reduced. can be reduced.

In addition, since the wire harness is bent in an S shape inside the protector, it is possible to reduce the degree of bending of the wire harness compared to a structure in which the wire harness is wound in a loop inside the protector. can also contribute to reducing the load on the wire harness.

In addition, since the holding surface is provided on the inner surface of the wall constituting the passage through which the wire harness is passed, the holding surface can be held with a simple structure without providing a separate part or the like for holding the bent state of the wire harness. A surface can be constructed.

In the wire harness protector described above, the holding surface is provided on each of the pair of wall portions.
According to the above-described aspect, since each of the pair of wall portions arranged to face each other and constituting the passage through which the wire harness passes is provided with the holding surface, the wire harness is bent in an S shape when the wire harness is most extended. It can hold the state to do.

In the wire harness protector described above, the passage includes an S-shaped bend, and the holding surface is provided on the inner surface of the wall forming the S-shaped bend.
According to the above aspect, since the holding surface is provided on the wall portion forming the S-shaped bent portion of the passage, the state in which the wire harness is bent in the S-shape can be maintained in the most extended state of the wire harness.

In the above wire harness protector, the S-shaped bent portion includes a housing portion that houses an intermediate portion between the two bent portions of the wire harness that bends in the S-shape, and is wider than the housing portion. and two widened accommodating portions respectively accommodating the two bent portions.

According to the above-described aspect, the two widening accommodating portions that respectively accommodate the two bending portions of the wire harness can secure the bending amount at the S-shaped bending portion of the wire harness, and as a result, when the steering wheel moves Suitable excess length absorption of the wire harness can be realized.

In the wire harness protector, the lead-out portion for leading out the wire harness is provided with a slide member fixed to the wire harness and capable of sliding in the vehicle front-rear direction following the movement of the steering wheel in the vehicle front-rear direction. It is

According to the above aspect, the sliding operation of the slide member accompanying the movement of the steering wheel in the vehicle longitudinal direction contributes to the stable absorption of the excess length of the wire harness, and as a result, the movement of the wire harness accompanying the movement of the steering wheel is further reduced. It can be suitably controlled. In addition, compared to a configuration in which the wire harness is immovably fixed to a predetermined portion of the protector, the load on the wire harness can be reduced when the steering wheel is moved.

In the wire harness protector, the slide member is provided in the lead-out portion facing the front side of the vehicle, and the lead-out portion has a regulating member that contacts the slide member to restrict movement of the slide member toward the front side of the vehicle. A portion is provided, and in a state in which the steering wheel is at a movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, the restricting portion is configured to abut on the slide member.

According to the above aspect, the wire harness is fixed at the lead-out portion on the front side of the vehicle in a state where the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle. That is, it is possible to define the amount of lead-out of the wire harness from the lead-out portion on the front side of the vehicle when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle. Therefore, in a state in which the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, the wire harness can be preferably held in an S-shaped bent state. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unintended bending of the wire harness outside the protector.

In the wire harness protector described above, the inner surface of the wall portion is formed with a curved surface forming a convex shape outward in the width direction of the passage. The wire harness, which is bent along the curved surface, is configured to contact the curved surface while being bent along the curved surface.

According to the above aspect, when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, that is, when the degree of bending of the wire harness is large, the wire harness is formed on the curved surface formed on the inner surface of the wall portion forming the passage. while bending along the curved surface. This makes it possible to increase the contact area between the wire harness and the wall portion when the degree of bending of the wire harness is large. As a result, the stress applied from the wire harness to the wall can be distributed more widely, resulting in a favorable configuration.

In the wire harness protector described above, a contact wall is provided at the end in the length direction of the passage and is capable of coming into contact with the wire harness led out from the end. It is provided at a position connected to the end of the wall in the length direction and not facing the other wall in the width direction of the passage.

According to the above aspect, by bringing the wire harness led out from the end in the length direction of the passage into contact with the abutment wall, the movement of the wire harness in the lead-out portion can be restricted, and the wire harness can be prevented from reaching peripheral parts. Interference can be suppressed. In addition, in the structure in which the wire harness is bent in an S shape, the wire harness tends to move only in one direction in the width direction of the passage (opposing direction of the pair of walls) at the lead-out portion of the wire harness from the end of the passage. . For this reason, at the end of the passage (harness lead-out portion), instead of providing an abutment wall so as to connect to both wall portions, an abutment wall is provided only on one side, thereby suppressing an increase in the size of the protector. becomes possible.

According to the wire harness protector of the present invention, the burden on the wire harness for the steering device can be reduced.

(a) A perspective view of a steering device provided with the protector of the embodiment, (b) A side view of the same steering device. (a) An exploded perspective view of the protector and wire harness of the same form, (b) A partially enlarged view of the corrugated clamp. The top view of the protector of the same form. The perspective view seen from the bottom side in the protector of the same form. The partial enlarged view of the bottom face of the protector in the same form. (a), (b), and (c) are schematic diagrams showing movement modes by the telescopic function of the steering wheel. (a), (b), and (c) are plan views showing how the wire harness is accommodated in the protector.

An embodiment of a wire harness protector will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, for convenience of explanation, a part of the configuration may be exaggerated. Also, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ from the actual one.

A steering device 100 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) is mounted on a vehicle and has a telescopic function capable of adjusting the position of a steering wheel 50 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

A steering shaft 52 connected to the center of the steering wheel 50 and extending forward is covered with a steering shaft cover 54 . The wire harness 10 is routed along the steering shaft 52 from the steering shaft cover 54 . An end portion of the wire harness 10 on the steering wheel 50 side is connected to, for example, a combination switch/steering column 55 (more specifically, a clock spring) connected to the steering shaft 52 .

The steering device 100 includes a steering lock case 60 that accommodates a steering lock member (not shown), and a protector 1 that is immovably fixed to the steering lock case 60 . In this embodiment, the protector 1 is provided below the steering lock case 60 . The protector 1 accommodates part of the wire harness 10 that is routed from an electrical component (not shown) in the steering wheel 50 along the steering shaft 52 toward the front side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 2( a ), the protector 1 includes a protector body 2 and a lid 3 attached to the protector body 2 . Both the protector main body 2 and the lid 3 are made of synthetic resin.

The protector body 2 has a bottom wall portion 5 and a pair of side wall portions 6a and 6b extending from both sides of the bottom wall portion 5, respectively. The bottom wall portion 5 and the side wall portions 6a and 6b form a channel 11 having a concave cross section through which the wire harness 10 is passed. The pair of side wall portions 6a and 6b face each other with the housing space for the wire harness 10 interposed therebetween.

The lid 3 is attached to the protector main body 2 in such a manner as to close the open ends of the side walls 6a and 6b (the side opposite to the bottom wall 5). Specifically, the lid 3 is fixed to the protector body 2 by locking the lock portions 3r provided on the lid 3 with the lock portions 2r provided on the side walls 6a and 6b of the protector body 2. It's becoming

As shown in FIGS. 2(a), 3 and 7(a), the passage 11 includes an S-shaped bent portion 1B for holding the wire harness 10 in an S-shaped bent state, and an S-shaped bent portion 1B. and a rear lead-out portion 1C provided at the end of the S-shaped bent portion 1B on the rear side of the vehicle and directed toward the rear of the vehicle. have. The bottom wall 5, the side walls 6a and 6b, and the lid 3 of the protector body 2 constitute the front lead-out portion 1A, the S-shaped bent portion 1B, and the rear lead-out portion 1C.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7A, the bottom wall portion 5 of the S-shaped bent portion 1B has a substantially S-shaped bent shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the XY plane in FIG. is making Side wall portions 6a and 6b of the S-shaped bent portion 1B are bent in an S-shape following the shape of the bottom wall portion 5 when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the XY plane. The bottom wall portion 5 and the side wall portions 6a and 6b of the S-shaped bent portion 1B of the present embodiment are also curved in the Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane (see FIG. 4). Further, a contact wall 3h extending from the lid 3 to the vehicle rear side is formed in the rear lead-out portion 1C. The contact wall 3h is configured so that the wire harness 10 drawn out from the rear side lead-out portion 1C can contact therewith. In addition, the contact wall 3h is connected to the end of one side wall portion 6a on the vehicle rear side, and faces the other side wall portion 6b in the width direction of the passage 11 (the direction in which the side wall portions 6a and 6b face each other). It is set in a position where it does not.

One side wall portion 6b of the S-shaped bent portion 1B is integrally formed with a protruding portion 18 protruding toward the inside of the protector 1. As shown in FIG. A side surface 18 a of the projecting portion 18 faces the accommodation space for the wire harness 10 . That is, the side surface 18 a of the protruding portion 18 corresponds to the inner surface of the wall portion forming the passage 11 .

In the front lead-out portion 1A, the inner surfaces of the side walls 6a and 6b forming the passage 11 are flat and parallel to each other. In the following description, the width direction Y of the protector 1 is defined as the facing direction of the side walls 6a and 6b (the direction parallel to the Y direction in FIG. 3). Further, the direction perpendicular to the width direction Y of the protector 1 and parallel to the lead-out direction of the wire harness 10 in the front lead-out portion 1A (the direction parallel to the X direction in FIG. 3) is the front-rear direction of the protector 1. Let X. The protector 1 is assembled to the steering device 100 so that the width direction Y of the protector 1 is parallel to the width direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle.

The lead-out direction of the wire harness 10 at the front lead-out portion 1A and the lead-out direction of the wire harness 10 at the rear lead-out portion 1C are substantially parallel to each other. Further, the front-side lead-out portion 1A and the rear-side lead-out portion 1C are configured such that their positions are shifted in the width direction Y of the protector 1. As shown in FIG.

An S-shaped bent portion 1B provided between the front lead-out portion 1A and the rear lead-out portion 1C has an S-shape meandering in the width direction Y of the protector 1. As shown in FIG. The wire harness 10 is passed through the passage 11 along the shape of the S-shaped bent portion 1B. That is, the wire harness 10 is bent in the S-shaped bent portion 1B of the passage 11 so as to meander in the width direction Y of the protector 1 (the vehicle width direction in this embodiment).

As shown in FIG. 7(c), the wire harness 10 includes two bent portions 10a and an intermediate portion 10b between the two bent portions 10a at the S-shaped bent portion passing through the S-shaped bent portion 1B. have. The S-shaped bent portion 1B of the passage 11 includes an accommodation portion 31 that accommodates the intermediate portion 10b of the wire harness 10 and two widened accommodation portions 32 that respectively accommodate the two bent portions 10a of the wire harness 10. . The passage width (interval between the pair of side walls 6a and 6b) in each widened accommodation portion 32 is set wider than the passage width (interval between the pair of side walls 6a and 6b) in the accommodation portion 31 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a clamp mounting portion 8 having a long hole 7 is provided in the bottom wall portion 5 of the front lead-out portion 1A. The long hole 7 has a shape elongated in the lead-out direction of the wire harness 10 lead out to the front side of the vehicle from the front lead-out portion 1A. A corrugated clamp 12 fixed to the wire harness 10 is slidable in the long hole 7 along the shape of the long hole 7 (that is, slidable along the lead-out direction of the wire harness 10 in the front lead-out portion 1A). be worn.

As shown in FIG. 2( a ), the corrugated clamp 12 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 13 that is wrapped around the wire harness 10 . As shown in FIG. 2(b), the locking pieces 12b on both sides of the clamp portion 12a projecting from the corrugated clamp 12 are passed through the elongated holes 7 of the clamp mounting portion 8, and the width direction side edges of the elongated holes 7 are inserted. It is locked so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. As a result, the fixing portion of the wire harness 10 to the corrugated clamp 12 is configured to be slidable along the lead-out direction of the wire harness 10 in the front lead-out portion 1A.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 4, the protector 1 includes a first bracket 5b projecting laterally from the bottom wall portion 5 of the S-shaped bent portion 1B, and a first bracket 5b provided on the first bracket 5b. 1 locking clamp 16 . The protector 1 also includes a second bracket 5c projecting laterally from the bottom wall portion 5 of the front lead-out portion 1A, and a second locking clamp 17 provided on the second bracket 5c. The first and second locking clamps 16 and 17 are fixed by being inserted into locking holes (not shown) provided in the steering lock case 60 .

Next, how the wire harness 10 is accommodated in the protector 1 will be described.
FIGS. 6(a) and 7(a) show a state where the steering wheel 50 is in the intermediate position of the telescopic movable range. 6(b) and 7(b) show the steering wheel 50 at its movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "rear limit position"). FIGS. 6(c) and 7(c) show a state in which the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position (hereinafter referred to as the front limit position) on the front side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c), in the S-shaped bent portion 1B of the protector 1 (passage 11), the S-shaped bending posture of the wire harness 10 changes as the steering wheel 50 moves. .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7(c), when the steering wheel 50 is at the front limit position, the degree of S-shaped bending of the wire harness 10 in the S-shaped bent portion 1B is maximized. At this time, the wire harness 10 contacts the contact point C on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6a of the S-shaped bent portion 1B and the contact point D on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6b on the S-shaped bent portion 1B.

The contact point C is set on a curved surface 21 formed on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6a. The curved surface 21 is curved so as to bulge outward in the width direction of the passage 11 (direction facing the side walls 6a and 6b), that is, toward the side away from the side wall 6b. Also, the contact point D is set on a curved surface 22 formed on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6b. The curved surface 22 is curved so as to bulge outward in the width direction of the passage 11 (direction facing the side walls 6a and 6b), that is, toward the side away from the side wall 6a. When the steering wheel 50 is at the front limit position, the S-shaped wire harness 10 contacts the curved surfaces 21 and 22 while being bent along the curved surfaces 21 and 22 .

Also, at this time, the corrugated clamp 12 fixed to the wire harness 10 is at the limit position on the front side of the vehicle in its sliding movable range. That is, at this time, the corrugated clamp 12 is in contact with the front end portion 7a of the elongated hole 7. As shown in FIG. That is, the front end portion 7a of the elongated hole 7 abuts against the corrugated clamp 12 at the front limit position of the steering wheel 50 (or at the front position thereof) to restrict the movement of the corrugated clamp 12 toward the front side of the vehicle. .

Also, at this time, the lead-out portion of the wire harness 10 from the rear lead-out portion 1C is displaced to one side (toward the side wall portion 6a) in the width direction of the passage 11 (the facing direction of the side wall portions 6a and 6b). It abuts against a contact wall 3h provided at a position contiguous with the rear end of the vehicle 6a. This contact wall 3h suppresses interference with peripheral components of the wire harness 10 at the lead-out portion from the rear lead-out portion 1C.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the steering wheel 50 is at the rear limit position, the degree of S-shaped bending of the wire harness 10 in the S-shaped bent portion 1B is minimized. At this time, the wire harness 10 is connected to the contact point B on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6a of the S-shaped bent portion 1B and the contact point A on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6b of the S-shaped bent portion 1B, more specifically, the side surface 18a of the projecting portion 18. come into contact with As a result, when the steering wheel 50 is at the rear limit position, the wire harness 10 does not extend straight within the S-shaped bent portion 1B, and the wire harness 10 is kept bent in the S-shape. Further, as the steering wheel 50 moves toward the vehicle rear side, the corrugated clamp 12 slides along the long hole 7 toward the vehicle rear side.

When the steering wheel 50 is moved from the rear limit position to the front side of the vehicle, the wire harness 10 is pushed into the passage 11 from the rear lead-out portion 1C, and the degree of S-shaped bending in the S-shaped bending portion 1B is reduced. growing. At this time, the corrugated clamp 12 slides along the long hole 7 toward the front side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), when the steering wheel 50 is in the middle position of the telescopic movable range (the position between the front limit position and the rear limit position), the wire harness 10 connects the contacts A, B, C, Although it does not come into contact with D, the S-shaped bent posture in the S-shaped bent portion 1B is maintained.

In this embodiment, when the steering wheel 50 moves from the rear limit position to the front limit position, the excess length absorption amount of the wire harness 10 at the S-shaped bent portion 1B is the distance L3 between the contacts AB and the contact It is defined by the difference in distance L4 between CD.

Further, in the present embodiment, the bending change amount ΔR of the wire harness 10 within the S-shaped bent portion 1B is represented by the following equations (1) to (3). On the inner surfaces of the side walls 6a and 6b, the radius of curvature of the curved surface including the contact A is Ra, the radius of curvature of the curved surface including the contact B is Rb, the radius of curvature of the curved surface including the contact C is Rc, and the radius of curvature of the curved surface including the contact C is Rc. Let the radius of curvature of the curved surface containing D be Rd.

1/Ra−1/Rc=1/R1 (1)
1/Rb−1/Rd=1/R2 (2)
1/R1-1/R2=ΔR (3)
Then, the radius of curvature of each of the curved surfaces is adjusted so that the bending change amount ΔR of the wire harness 10 is equal to or less than a specified value evaluated based on the diameter of the wire harness, the type of electric wire constituting the wire harness 10, the usage conditions, and the like. Ra, Rb, Rc, and Rd are preferably set.

Next, a procedure for assembling the wire harness 10 to the protector 1 will be described.
A corrugated tube 13 is attached to a predetermined portion of the wire harness 10 , and a corrugated clamp 12 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tube 13 .

Next, the wire harness 10 is inserted into the passage 11 (between the side walls 6a and 6b) in the protector body 2. As shown in FIG. At this time, the clamp portion 12a of the corrugated clamp 12 is assembled to the elongated hole 7 of the front lead-out portion 1A. After that, the lid 3 is put on the protector body 2 and locked together.

Next, the end portion of the wire harness 10 led out from the rear lead-out portion 1C of the protector 1 is connected to an electrical component (not shown) inside the steering wheel 50 . After that, the first and second locking clamps 16 and 17 of the protector 1 are inserted into the steering lock case 60 and locked.

Effects of the present embodiment will be described.
(1) The protector 1 has a passage 11 through which the wire harness 10 used in the steering device 100 passes, and holds the wire harness 10 in the passage 11 so as to be bent in an S shape. The protector 1 contacts the wire harness 10 in a state where the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle, and the contact point A serves as a holding surface that holds the wire harness 10 in an S-shaped bent state. , B are provided on the inner surfaces of the side walls 6a and 6b forming the passage 11, respectively.

According to the above aspect, when the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle, that is, when the wire harness 10 is most extended, the wire harness 10 is connected to the contacts A and B set on the inner surface of the passage 11. , and the S-shaped bending state is maintained. That is, since the wire harness 10 is configured so as not to be linear in the most extended state, it is possible to suppress the bending change amount of the wire harness 10 accompanying the movement of the steering wheel 50 to a small amount. can reduce the load on

In addition, since the wire harness 10 is bent in an S-shape inside the protector 1, the degree of bending of the wire harness 10 can be reduced compared to a structure in which the wire harness 10 is wound in a loop inside the protector 1. This point also contributes to the reduction of the load applied to the wire harness 10 .

Further, since the contacts A and B as holding surfaces are provided on the inner surfaces of the side walls 6a and 6b forming the passage 11 through which the wire harness 10 is passed, a separate part or the like for holding the bent state of the wire harness 10 is provided. It is possible to configure the holding surface with a simple configuration without providing a

Further, the contact points A and B as holding surfaces are set at offset positions in the width direction Y of the protector 1, and even when the steering wheel 50 is pulled to the maximum (rear limit position), the steering wheel 50 can be gently bent. state can be maintained.

(2) Contact points A and B are provided on a pair of side wall portions 6a and 6b that constitute the passage 11 and are arranged to face each other. Therefore, the state in which the wire harness 10 is bent in the S shape can be maintained in the state where the wire harness 10 is most extended.

(3) The passage 11 has an S-shaped bent portion 1B, and the contacts A and B are provided on the inner surfaces of the side wall portions 6a and 6b forming the S-shaped bent portion 1B. Therefore, the state in which the wire harness 10 is bent in the S shape can be maintained in the state where the wire harness 10 is most extended.

(4) The S-shaped bent portion 1B includes an accommodating portion 31 that accommodates an intermediate portion 10b between two bent portions 10a in the S-shaped bent portion of the wire harness 10, and is wider than the accommodating portion 31. It is provided with two widened accommodating portions 32 each accommodating one bent portion 10a. According to this aspect, it is possible to secure the amount of bending in the S-shaped bending portion of the wire harness 10 , and as a result, it is possible to suitably absorb the excess length of the wire harness 10 when the steering wheel 50 is moved.

(5) The front lead-out portion 1A is provided with a corrugated clamp 12 (slide member) fixed to the wire harness 10 and slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle following the movement of the steering wheel 50 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. there is According to this aspect, the sliding operation of the corrugated clamp 12 accompanying the movement of the steering wheel 50 in the vehicle front-rear direction contributes to the stable absorption of the excess length of the wire harness 10, and as a result, the wire harness accompanying the movement of the steering wheel 50. 10 movement can be better controlled. Moreover, compared with the structure which fixes the wire harness 10 to the predetermined location of the protector 1 immovably, the burden on the wire harness 10 when the steering wheel 50 moves can be reduced.

(6) The clamp mounting portion 8 of the front lead-out portion 1A has a restriction portion (the front end portion 7a of the long hole 7) that abuts against the corrugated clamp 12 and restricts the movement of the corrugated clamp 12 toward the vehicle front side. Prepare. The front end portion 7a of the elongated hole 7 is configured to abut against the corrugated clamp 12 when the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle.

According to the above aspect, the wire harness 10 is fixed at the front lead-out portion 1A in a state where the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle. That is, it is possible to define the amount of lead-out of the wire harness 10 from the front lead-out portion 1A when the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle. Therefore, in a state in which the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, the wire harness 10 can be preferably held in an S-shaped bent state. Moreover, occurrence of unintended bending of the wire harness 10 outside the protector 1 can be suppressed.

(7) The inner surface of the side wall portion 6a is formed with a curved surface 21 that protrudes outward in the width direction of the passage 11 (the side away from the side wall portion 6b). A curved surface 21 that protrudes outward in the width direction of the passage 11 (the side away from the side wall portion 6a) is formed on the inner surface of the side wall portion 6b. In a state where the steering wheel 50 is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, that is, in a state where the degree of bending of the wire harness 10 is large, the wire harness 10 bending in an S-shape is bent along the curved surfaces 21 and 22. It is configured to contact the curved surfaces 21 and 22 in a bent state. This makes it possible to increase the contact area between the wire harness 10 and the side walls 6a and 6b when the wire harness 10 is bent to a large degree. As a result, the stress applied from the wire harness 10 to the side wall portions 6a and 6b can be dispersed more widely, resulting in a suitable configuration.

(8) A contact wall 3h capable of coming into contact with the wire harness 10 led out from the end is provided at one end in the length direction of the passage 11 (rear lead-out portion 1C). According to this aspect, by bringing the wire harness 10 led out from the rear lead-out portion 1C into contact with the contact wall 3h, the movement of the wire harness 10 at the lead-out portion can be restricted, and the peripheral parts of the wire harness 10 can be moved. interference can be suppressed.

In addition, in the configuration in which the wire harness 10 is bent in an S-shape inside the protector 1, the wire harness 10 is positioned on one side of the passage 11 in the width direction at the lead-out portion of the wire harness 10 from the rear lead-out portion 1C. Then, it is easy to move only toward the side wall portion 6a). For this reason, in the rear lead-out portion 1C, the protector 1 can be made larger by providing the contact wall 3h only on the side wall portion 6a instead of providing the contact wall so as to connect to the side wall portions 6a and 6b. can be suppressed.

This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
- In the above embodiment, the contact wall 3h is provided on the lid 3, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and the contact wall 3h may be provided on the protector main body 2 side.

- In the above-described embodiment, the contact point A is set on the side surface 18a of the projecting portion 18 projecting from the side wall portion 6b toward the inside of the protector 1, but the contact point A is not particularly limited to this. For example, the protrusion 18 may be omitted from the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and the side wall 6b forming the outer shape of the protector 1 may be moved closer to the side wall 6a to the position of the side surface 18a of the protrusion 18 of the above-described embodiment. It is good also as a structure which made it.

The protector 1 of the above embodiment has the clamp attachment portion 8 (long hole 7) to which the corrugated clamp 12 is attached in the front lead-out portion 1A. Slots 7) may be provided.

- As a slide member fixed to the wire harness 10, instead of the corrugated clamp 12, a band clamp, a board clamp, or the like may be used.
The configuration of the protector 1, such as the shape of the S-shaped bent portion 1B, is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate according to the configuration of the steering device.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 protector 2 protector body 1A front lead-out portion 1B S-shaped bent portion 1C rear lead-out portion 3h abutment wall 6a, 6b side wall 7 long hole 7a front end of long hole ( regulatory department)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8... Clamp mounting part 10... Wire harness 10a... Bent part 10b... Intermediate part 11... Passage 12... Corrugate clamp (slide member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21, 22... Curved surface 31... Accommodating part 32... Widening accommodating part 50... Steering wheel 100... Steering device A... Contact point (holding surface)
B... Contact (holding surface)

Claims (8)

A pair of mutually opposed passages which are used in a steering device of a vehicle having a telescopic function and are provided with a passage through which a wire harness having extra length for allowing movement of the steering wheel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is passed. A wire harness protector that holds the wire harness passed between the walls so as to be bent in an S shape between the pair of walls,
When one of the pair of wall portions is the first wall portion and the other is the second wall portion,
The first wall portion and the second wall are provided with a holding surface that contacts the wire harness and holds the wire harness bent in an S-shape in a state where the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle. It is provided on the inner surface of each part ,
In a state where the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle, the holding surface for holding the wire harness bent in the S-shape is provided with the wire harness on the rear side of the vehicle in the state of being bent in the S-shape. The holding surface is provided on the inner surface of the first wall portion, and the holding surface on the front side of the vehicle is provided on the inner surface of the second wall portion,
The first wall portion and the second wall are provided with a holding surface that contacts the wire harness and holds the wire harness bent in an S-shape when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle. It is provided on the inner surface of each part,
In a state where the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, a holding surface for holding the state of the wire harness bent in an S shape is provided on the rear side of the vehicle for the wire harness in the state of being bent in the S shape. A wire harness protector , wherein the holding surface is provided on the inner surface of the second wall portion, and the holding surface on the vehicle front side is provided on the inner surface of the first wall portion . The passage has an S-shaped bend that bends in an S-shape,
A holding surface that contacts the wire harness and holds the wire harness bent in an S-shape in a state in which the steering wheel is at a movable limit position on the rear side of the vehicle; The holding surface, which contacts the wire harness in the position and holds the wire harness bent in an S-shape, is formed by the first wall portion and the second wall portion forming the S-shaped bent portion. The wire harness protector according to claim 1 , provided on the inner surface. The S-shaped bent portion includes an accommodating portion that accommodates an intermediate portion between the two bent portions in the S-shaped bent portion of the wire harness, and a wider width than the accommodated portion that accommodates the two bent portions. 3. The wire harness protector according to claim 2 , comprising two widened housings for housing. 2. A lead-out portion for leading out the wire harness is provided with a slide member fixed to the wire harness and slidable in the vehicle front-rear direction following movement of the steering wheel in the vehicle front-rear direction. The wire harness protector according to any one of claims 3 to 4. The slide member is provided in the lead-out portion facing the front side of the vehicle, and the lead-out portion is provided with a restricting portion that contacts the slide member to restrict movement of the slide member toward the front side of the vehicle,
5. The wire harness protector according to claim 4 , wherein the restricting portion abuts against the sliding member when the steering wheel is at the vehicle front side movable limit position. A first curved surface is formed on the inner surface of the first wall portion so as to bulge outward in the width direction of the passage, and a first curved surface is formed on the inner surface of the second wall portion so as to expand outward in the width direction of the passage. A second curved surface that is curved to expand is formed,
In a state in which the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle and the restricting portion is in contact with the slide member, the holding surface of the wire harness on the rear side of the vehicle, which is bent in an S-shape, is positioned at the rear side of the vehicle. 6. The wire harness protector according to claim 5, wherein a holding surface on the vehicle front side is provided on the second curved surface of the inner surface of the two wall portions and is provided on the first curved surface on the inner surface of the first wall portion. The inner surface of the first wall portion is formed with a curved surface that protrudes outward in the width direction of the passage,
The wire harness, which is bent in an S-shape when the steering wheel is at the movable limit position on the front side of the vehicle, is configured to contact the curved surface while being bent along the curved surface. The wire harness protector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . An abutment wall is provided at an end in the length direction of the passage and is capable of coming into contact with the wire harness led out from the end,
2. The abutting wall is provided at a position that is continuous with the longitudinal end of one of the wall portions and is not opposed to the other wall portion in the width direction of the passage. The wire harness protector according to any one of claims 7 to 7.

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