JPH10224940A - Waterproof structure of wire harness - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the wiring work of a wire harness, and the assembly work to the car body, by providing the wire harness with a drain part which can discharge water which has penetrated into the minute space between cables without bending the wire harness. SOLUTION: A wire harness W/H passed through a grommet into the through hole bored in the panel for partitioning an engine room and a cabin is provided with a cable exposed section where a tape T is not wound, at its section close to the panel for partitioning the engine room and the cabin on engine room side, and a group of cables 11a in the cable exposed section are folded down in the axial direction of the wire harness after loosening its center to wide open in diameter in its peripheral direction from both ends in its longitudinal direction, thus the bulge is brought down along the periphery of the wire harness, and also a tape T is wound around the group of cables 11 a brought down along the wire harness W/H on one side, and the end S of the turn of the group of the cables is opened to form a drain 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof structure of a wire harness, and prevents water from penetrating a minute gap between wires of a wire harness to prevent water from penetrating from an engine room side to a vehicle room side. It was done.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automobile, as shown in FIG. 7, a panel 61 for separating the engine room and the vehicle compartment is provided to prevent water from penetrating from a through portion of a wire harness routed from the engine room side to the vehicle compartment. A grommet 63 made of rubber or an elastomer is attached to the wire harness W / H in which a large number of electric wires are bundled through the penetrated through hole 62, and the wire harness W is wired through the grommet 63, and water is immersed in the through hole 62. Has been prevented.

The grommet 63 is formed by extending a tube portion 63b at a reduced end of a large-diameter portion 63a having a substantially conical cylindrical shape, and a panel locking portion 62 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 63a.
Is fixed to the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 62 of the panel 61, and the wire harness W /
H, the through hole 62 and the wire harness W
Sealing the space between them is waterproof.

However, the above-mentioned wire harness W / H
In the waterproof structure of the above, when water is directly applied to the wire harness W / H with strong water pressure in the engine room, water is immersed from between the tapes wrapped around the outer periphery of the wire group, and a minute gap between the wires in the wire harness. There is a problem that moisture penetrates into the passenger compartment through the vehicle and adversely affects the electric system. That is, the wire harness W / H is, as shown in FIG.
A large number of electric wires having terminals connected to the connector 74 or the ground terminal 75 are wrapped around with an adhesive tape 73, and a corrugated tube 71 and a vinyl sheet 72 are externally provided at required locations, and branched at required locations. However, when water is directly applied to the wire harness W / H, as shown in FIG. 9, the seam 81 of the covering material, the branch portion 82 or the gap 83 of the adhesive tape 73 is wound.
Water 85 penetrates from the inside and the capillary phenomenon (especially when the air pressure in the vehicle interior decreases during the high-speed running and a pressure difference occurs between the engine room and the vehicle interior.). In some cases, the moisture 85 may penetrate into the vehicle compartment side by penetrating through a narrow gap as shown in FIG. There is a problem that the water that has entered the vehicle interior has a bad influence on the electric system due to corrosion of terminals (not shown) inserted into the connector.

In view of the above problems, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-9612
No. 2 proposes a waterproof structure shown in FIG. This is because the vicinity of the vehicle body panel 61 on the engine room side of the wire harness W / H is bent in a U-shape, fixed with the protector 69 and a tape 70, and the bent portion 68 is arranged so as to project downward. A drain portion 65 is provided at the end of the bent portion 68 to expose the electric wire w without winding the tape, so that moisture penetrates through a minute gap between the electric wires in the wire harness W / H. Cut off the capillary action,
The drainage section 65 drains water that has been flooded into the wire harness W / H in the engine room.

[0006]

However, in the above conventional waterproof structure, the wiring harness W / H must be routed such that the bent portion bent in a U-shape projects upward or downward in the direction of gravity. In addition, there is a problem that the wiring direction of the wire harness W / H is regulated in the wiring work of the wire harness W / H, and the wiring work becomes complicated. Further, on the vehicle body side, it is necessary to secure a space for accommodating the bent portion bent in a U-shape, and the same direction regulation as described above is added when assembling to the vehicle body. Is complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is intended to prevent a capillary phenomenon that penetrates a minute gap between wire harness W / H wires to prevent water from entering a vehicle compartment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof structure for a wire harness that does not require a large bent portion in the wire harness W / H and that does not involve a direction restriction in the wiring of the wire harness W / H and in assembling it to a vehicle body. And

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, a grommet is used to penetrate through a through hole formed in a panel separating an engine room and a vehicle room of an automobile. A waterproof structure of a wire harness that blocks a capillary phenomenon in which moisture penetrates through minute gaps between wires of a wire harness to prevent water from flowing from an engine room side to a vehicle room side, wherein the wire harness has an engine room side or At least one side of the vehicle compartment is provided with a wire-exposed section that is not tape-wrapped in a portion near the panel that separates the engine room and the vehicle compartment from each other. The central portion is relaxed so as to expand in the outer peripheral direction, and then folded in the axial direction of the wire harness so as to follow the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness adjacent to the wire exposed section. The above-mentioned folded electric wire group along the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness is tape-wrapped around its outer periphery and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the above-mentioned wire harness, while the folded end of the folded electric wire group is opened to form a drainage portion. And a waterproof structure of the wire harness.
An air reservoir was formed at the base of the folded electric wire group inside the wire harness, and the air reservoir was ventilated to the outside at the folded end that was opened through the gap between the electric wires of the folded electric wire group. It has a configuration (claim 2).

With the above construction, an air reservoir is formed in the drain portion of the wire harness, and water that has penetrated through the gap between the wires of the wire harness from the engine room side to the vehicle compartment side by capillary action causes this air reservoir. Stagnated in the space formed by the wire harness, and the retained water passes through the gap between the wires that are inclined downward along the wire group that has been folded down along the lower peripheral surface of the outer periphery of the wire harness, and the tape winding of the wire group is performed. It is discharged to the outside from the turned-back end which is opened without doing. At this time, the folded end of the wire group that is folded along the upper peripheral surface of the outer periphery of the wire harness acts as an intake port to the air reservoir, which can prevent the inside of the air reservoir from being depressurized. , Water discharge is continued. Therefore, if the air reservoir is provided near the vehicle body panel on the engine room side of the wire harness, it is possible to completely prevent water that has entered the wire harness from penetrating into the vehicle room's wire harness in the engine room. Also, even if the air reservoir is provided near the vehicle body panel on the vehicle cabin side of the wire harness, water that has penetrated from the engine room side to the wire harness on the vehicle cabin side can be blocked off near the vehicle body panel, and the vehicle body panel in the vehicle cabin It can be prevented from penetrating into the wire harness on the subsequent stage.

In the above configuration, the drainage portion is provided on the engine room side, a predetermined length of the wire harness including the drainage portion is inclined, and the open folded end is directed downward from the horizontal direction. It is preferable to adopt a configuration (claim 3). With this configuration, the water remaining in the air reservoir (space) in the drain can be drained more quickly by its own weight.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. A grommet 63 attached to a through hole 62 formed in a panel 61 separating an engine room 1 and a vehicle room 2 of a vehicle.
Through the wire harness W / H.

The grommet 63 is formed by extending a tube portion 63b at a reduced end of a large-diameter portion 63a having a substantially conical cylindrical shape, and a panel locking portion 62 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 63a.
Is fixed to the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 62 of the panel 61, and the wire harness W /
H, the through hole 62 and the wire harness W
Sealing the space between them is waterproof.

Engine room 1 of wiring harness W / H
The drainage unit 10 is provided near the side panel 61. In addition,
A corrugated tube 71 and a vinyl sheet 72 are externally provided at required portions of a portion (not shown) of the wire harness W / H, similarly to the conventional wire harness, and are branched at required portions.

The drain portion 10 of the wire harness W / H is formed as follows in the process of manufacturing the wire harness W / H. First, a large number of wires 11 are bundled, and the outer periphery of the bundled wires other than the predetermined length portion 11a is covered with an adhesive tape T.
(See FIG. 2A). Next, a predetermined length portion 11a exposed without winding the tape of the wire group
2 is gripped by a machine, and a force is applied such that the central portion of the predetermined length portion 11a of the wire group exposed without winding the tape expands in the outer peripheral direction and becomes loose (FIG. 2).
(B)), the exposed wire group 11a is relaxed until the diameter increases and almost reaches the maximum diameter (FIG. 2C). Next, the loosened wire group 11a is folded down in one of the axial directions of the tape-wrapped wire group so as to be along the outer peripheral surface of the tape-wrapped wire group (FIG. 2D). Next, the outer circumference of the wire group 11a along the outer circumferential surface of the folded and tape-wrapped wire group is half-wrapped with an adhesive tape T (FIG. 2E), and the wire group 11a is loosened and expanded in diameter. When the folded end S of the wire harness is opened, the wire harness W / H having the drainage portion 10 is formed.
(FIG. 2F) is completed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness W / H having the drainage portion 10 manufactured as described above. FIG. 4 is a folded end S of the wire group 11a in which the drainage portion 10 is opened without tape winding.
It is the perspective view seen from the side.

As shown in FIG. 3, a wire harness W / H
The central part of the wire group 11a of the section exposed without tape winding in the drainage part 10 is loosened and folded down.
An air reservoir (space) 12 is formed by joining both ends of the wire group 11a, and the air reservoir (space) 12 is formed by a folded end S which is opened through a gap between the wires of the folded wire group 11a to form an external space. It is ventilated.

In the engine room, the wiring harness W /
When water is directly applied to H, water penetrates from seams of a covering material such as a corrugated tube, a branch portion of a group of electric wires, or a gap between windings of an adhesive tape T, and a minute gap between the sealed electric wires 11 due to a capillary phenomenon. As shown in FIG. 5, the water 13 penetrating between the electric wires 11 accumulates in the air reservoir (space) 12 of the drainage portion 10, 13a passes through the gap between the wires 11a which is folded down along the lower surface of the outer periphery of the wire harness W / H of the drainage section 10 and is inclined downward, and passes through the wire harness W / H.
Ends S of Wires Open Under Lower Periphery of / H
It is discharged to the outside through the gap between the electric wires. At this time, the gap between the wires at the folded end S2 of the wire group 11a folded along the outer side surface and the upper side surface of the wire harness W / H functions as an air inlet to the air reservoir 12, so that the air reservoir 12
Is prevented from being in a reduced pressure state, and water is continuously discharged.

Accordingly, even if the water is generated in the wire harness W / H in the engine room, the water does not penetrate to the vehicle harness side of the wire harness W / H, and is in front of the panel 61 in the engine room 1. Therefore, the water does not reach the vehicle compartment 2 side, and the adverse effect on the electric system due to the water such as corrosion of the terminal can be eliminated.

Since the outer diameter of the drain portion 10 of the wire harness W / H is slightly larger than the outer diameters of the other portions, the conventional harness itself is bent in a U-shape to form a drain portion. Unlike the harness, there is no restriction that the arrangement direction of the drainage portion is limited, and the wire harness W /
H can be easily arranged. There is no need to secure a special space on the vehicle body side for accommodating the drainage section 10, and it is not necessary to consider the arrangement direction of the wire harness W / H when assembling the vehicle body.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment, in which
In the engine room 1, a predetermined length portion of the wire harness W / H including the drain portion 10 is inclined, and the folded end S of the wire group 11a that is opened is directed downward from the horizontal direction. By doing so, the water staying in the air reservoir (space) in the drain section 10 is quickly discharged by its own weight.

In the above embodiment, the drainage section 10 is disposed in the engine room 1; however, it may be provided near the vehicle body panel 61 in the passenger compartment 2. In this case, the wire group 11a of the drainage section 10 It is preferable that the wire harness W / H including the drainage portion 10 be folded back toward the vehicle body panel 61 so that the folded end S of the open wire group, which is not covered with tape, faces downward from the horizontal direction. It is more preferable to incline the predetermined length portion of.

[0023]

As described above, according to the waterproofing structure of the wire harness of the present invention, a group of electric wires which are not wound with a tape is formed such that the central portion of the group of electric wires is expanded in the outer peripheral direction from both ends in the longitudinal direction. Then, fold the wire harness in the axial direction to fit it along the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness, wind the outer peripheral surface of the folded wire group with tape, and open the folded end of the folded wire group to drain it. By forming the portion, the water that penetrates into the gap between the wires by capillary action due to water infiltration into the wire harness is folded over to the outside from the gap between the wires at the folded end of the wire group along the wire harness outer peripheral surface. It can be discharged, and the adverse effect on the electric system due to moisture such as corrosion of the terminal on the vehicle cabin side caused by flooding in the wire harness can be eliminated. The outer diameter of the drainage portion formed by winding the outer peripheral surface of the wire group folded on the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness with tape is slightly larger than the outer diameters of the other portions of the wire harness. Therefore, there is no restriction that the wiring harness W / H is limited, and the wiring harness W / H and the assembling work to the vehicle body can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a main part showing a waterproof structure of a wire harness according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 (A), 2 (B), 2 (C), 2 (D), 2 (E), and 2 (F) are side views showing steps of manufacturing the wire harness shown in FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a wire harness provided with a drainage unit of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a wire harness provided with a drainage unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state of movement of water inside the wire harness provided with the drainage unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a main part showing a waterproof structure of a wire harness according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a main part showing a waterproof structure of a conventional wire harness.

FIG. 8 is a schematic external view showing a general wire harness.

FIG. 9 is a schematic external view showing a general wire harness.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a main part showing a waterproof structure of a conventional wire harness.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a main part showing a waterproof structure of another conventional wire harness.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine room 2 Cabin 61 Panel 62 Through-hole 63 Grommet 63a Large diameter part 63b Small diameter pipe part W / H wire harness 10 Drainage part 11 Electric wire 11a Electric wire (group) 12 Air reservoir 13 Water T Adhesive tape S Folded electric wire group Turned end of

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A capillarity in which moisture penetrates a minute gap between electric wires of a wire harness penetrated through a grommet into a through hole formed in a panel that separates an engine room and a vehicle room of an automobile. A waterproof structure of a wire harness for preventing water from flowing from an engine room side to a vehicle room side, near a panel separating the engine room and the vehicle room on at least one of the engine room side and the vehicle room side of the wire harness. A wire exposed section where no tape is wound is provided in a portion to be taped, and a wire group of the wire exposed section is slackened so that a central portion thereof expands in a peripheral direction from both ends in a longitudinal direction thereof, and then an axis of a wire harness. In a direction along the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness adjacent to the exposed section of the electric wire, and the group of electric wires folded down and along the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness. Waterproof structure of a wire harness while by the tape winding is fixed to the wire harness outer peripheral surface, the wire group of the folded end defeated folding, characterized in that open to form a drainage unit to. 2. An air reservoir is formed in the wire harness at a root portion of the folded electric wire group, and the air reservoir is opened through the gap between the electric wires of the folded electric wire group. The waterproof structure for a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the wire harness is configured to be ventilated outside. 3. The drainage section is provided on an engine room side,
The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein a predetermined length of the wire harness including the drainage portion is inclined so that the open folded end faces downward from the horizontal direction. Waterproof structure.