JPH1094138A - Protector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lower the large force working on a cable in an accident by transforming the wire harness by allowing the transformation of a cylinder, equipped with a long tube which has at least one wall with weakened rigidity. SOLUTION: A protector 301 is equipped with a cover 310 in an open condition, connected to an upright sidewall 304 through a hinge mans 312, and the connection part between the upright sidewall 304 and an under wall is bent. Moreover, another bend for connecting an inclined sidewall 302 is made on the opposite side of the under wall, and the sidewall 302 is connected to an upper upright sidewall 302 which forms a lock mechanism 314, together with the cover 310. Then, the curved connecting parts between the under wall part and the side wall parts 302 and 304 are made thin, with cuts 307 formed at the outer face of the protector 301, and cuts 307 are made at the inner face and the outer face of the protector at the weak rigidity part 305. As a result, a cable can descend down, be transformed, or discharged from the compressed part, so that immoderate force can be prevented from acting on the cable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a protector for protecting and housing electric wires constituting a wire harness, and more particularly to a protector used in the automobile industry for securely holding and protecting electric wires connectable to one pole of a battery. This protector is mounted on a vehicle body portion or a vehicle body panel connected to the other pole of the battery. In particular, this protector is mounted on the cowl panel in the vehicle so as to extend along the horizontal direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wire harness protector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. 5016842. This conventional protector has one or two extensions to accommodate the wires. The extension has a cover with hinge means so that it can be closed after insertion of the electric wire constituting the wire harness. The extensions and covers are usually uniform and have a constant wall thickness and strength.

[0003]

A problem of the conventional protector is that even if the protector is considerably deformed in the event of an accident, the electric wire accommodated in the protector cannot escape therefrom. In particular, when this protector is used to protect and accommodate electric wires in a motor vehicle, the protector and the electric wires accommodated in the protector are crushed by an excessive force when a collision occurs, particularly in a frontal collision. Specifically, the electric wire is trapped between the cowl panel of the vehicle body and the reinforcing member, and its sheath may be damaged by a metal component connected to a different battery pole from the electric wire.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a protector for protecting and housing an electric wire, which reduces an excessive force acting on the electric wire at the time of an accident and preferably prevents the insulation coating of the electric wire from being damaged by a metal product or the like. The purpose is to:

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an elongated tubular body having at least one wall with reduced rigidity, which weakly rigid wall allows deformation of the tubular body and allows the wire harness to be deformed. Displacement is achieved by a protector containing the wires. In particular, the protector according to the invention allows the wire to be displaced from the squeezed part, especially by gravity acting on the wire, thereby reducing the undue force acting on the wire.

It is preferable that the weak rigid wall portion is opened when it is deformed by a predetermined amount or more. In particular, when the weak rigid wall portion is opened or broken, the wire may not only be displaced in the protector but also escape from the protector so as not to be crushed and not to apply an excessive force.

Further, the engaging portion which is disengaged when the protector is deformed may be alternatively or additionally formed as a weak rigid wall portion. Specifically, two engaging means or a pair of one engaging means and one hinge means is provided at a predetermined portion, particularly at a lower portion of the cylindrical body, and when the deformation occurs, the engaging means, for example, the locking portion is provided. Open to open this predetermined portion from the cylinder. By providing the engagement means, the protector can be accurately designed to open when a predetermined amount of deformation occurs. It is preferable that the engagement means is a locking portion located on the side of the cylinder in the direction in which the electric wire is displaced, or a simply-engaged contact engagement portion.

[0008] The weak rigid wall portion is preferably formed by making the wall thin or making a cut. When the wall is made thin, it may be made completely or partially thin. The weak rigid wall portion may be formed by forming a cut or a groove. In this case, the weak rigid wall portion may be formed inside, outside, or both of the cylindrical body. When the cuts and grooves are formed on both surfaces, it is preferable that the patterns of the cuts and grooves on the outer surface or the inner surface of the weak rigid wall portion are shifted from each other. Preferred protectors have a predetermined break point or friability that can be accurately designed by choosing an appropriate wall thinning pattern given its size and material.

Preferably, the weak rigid wall portion is made of a material having lower strength and / or lower rigidity. This also allows the weak rigid wall to be deformable and breakable. By providing the weak rigid wall portion made of a material having lower rigidity than other portions, the electric wire in the cylindrical body can be more easily displaced, separated, or discharged.

Preferably, the protector is designed so that the deformation of the cylindrical body moves the electric wire to the weak rigid wall. In particular, when deformation occurs, one wall, whether thinned or not, applies pressure to the wires in the cylinder and urges the wires toward the deformed or opened weak rigid wall. Alternatively, the cylindrical body may be designed. It is preferable that the cross section of the cylinder gradually narrows toward the end that is not significantly affected by the deformation. Further, a sliding surface may be provided on the cylindrical body to facilitate movement or discharge of the electric wire.

Preferably, the weak rigid wall is formed in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body. In particular, the weak rigid wall is formed along the entire length of the cylinder so that the deformation or opening occurs along the entire length of the protector. Alternatively, a weak rigid wall is formed along the length of the cylindrical body by two.
Reinforcing means may be provided to separate one or more parts. By providing the reinforcing means, when the deformation or opening of the protector occurs at a specific portion, the accommodated wire is displaced or discharged in this specific region, and remains held by the protector in other regions.

Preferably, the weak rigid wall portion is located substantially at a lower portion of the cylindrical body, and the lower portion is deformable, in particular, by pushing the side walls of the cylindrical body toward each other. By providing the weak rigid wall portion at the lower part of the cylindrical body, the electric wire can be moved or escaped from the protector by the mere action of gravity.

In general, it is preferred that the wires in the protector are not at least partially bundled or connected, but several wires may be connected to form a small group of wires. Further, it is preferable that the wires in the protector are routed in a slack state so as to hang down, that is, so that no tension is applied to the wires.

It is preferable that the weakly rigid wall and the wall almost opposed thereto are designed to be deformable in substantially the same direction. Thereby, the opposing wall urges the electric wire toward the weak rigid wall, especially when the side wall is crushed. By providing such a wall, the action of gravity can be supported or replaced. In particular, this feature makes it possible to direct the displacement of the wires routed in the horizontal direction.

Further, in order to support gravity acting on the electric wire when the protector is deformed, opened or broken, an urging means for urging the electric wire toward the weak rigid wall may be provided. When the position of the weak rigid wall portion and the displacement direction of the electric wire do not coincide with the direction of gravity, a biasing means may be used as a substitute for the action of gravity. Preferably, the urging means is constituted by a leaf spring, a coil spring, or the like, which urges the electric wire inserted into the protector.

[0016] It is preferable that the cylinder of the protector is provided with an openable / closable cover connected to the main body, particularly via hinge means. By providing such a cover that can be opened and closed, preferably at a position substantially opposed to the weak rigid wall portion, the protector can be easily opened and closed for inserting an electric wire.

Finally, the cover preferably has locking means for fixing it to the body. In particular, the locking means
It is preferable to form the locking mechanism by applying a strong engaging force to the main body and the cover to give a strength greater than a force acting on the weak rigid wall against deformation or breakage. In this case, the cover does not open even if the cylindrical body, particularly the weak rigid wall portion, is deformed.

The present invention also relates to the use of a protector for accommodating a predetermined portion of an electric wire constituting a wire harness. In particular, in the automotive industry, this protector is used to accommodate electric wires guided and routed behind or below the dashboard, especially between metal parts of the car body connected to different battery poles than the electric wires Is preferred. Further, it is preferable to use the protector mounted horizontally. However, the protector according to the present invention can be used in other directions.

In summary, the protector according to the invention constitutes means for holding the wires to be protected, and if the protector deforms in the event of an accident, the wires escape from the impact or squeezed part and are crushed between the metal parts. Functioning as a so-called fail-safe device, thereby preventing an excessive force from acting.

[0020]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the protector according to the invention will emerge more clearly from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, among which: FIG.

In the drawings illustrating different embodiments of the present invention, like reference numerals designate like components.
It has digits. That is, in the second and third embodiments, 100, 200, and 300 are added to the reference numerals, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, a protector 1 for protecting and containing an electric wire includes a main body 3 having opposing side walls 2 and 4, and a cover 10. Although the cross section of the illustrated protector 1 is substantially rectangular, it may be polygonal, circular, or elliptical. The cover 10 is connected to the main body 3 via hinge means 12, and the hinge means 12 may be integrally formed of an elastically deformable material, or may be a separate body usually provided in the protector. Good. At the end of the cover 10 opposite to the hinge means 12, a locking means 14 is provided. In this embodiment, the locking means 14 is a locking mechanism.

In this embodiment, the weak rigid wall portion 5 is
And a lower portion of the main body 3 formed of a material more easily deformable than the material of the cover 10. If it is desired to break open, the weak rigid wall portion 5 may be formed of a material having more friability.

A notch 7 or a similar groove is formed on the inner surface of the weak rigid wall portion 5 to make the weak rigid wall portion 5 more easily deformable. In the illustrated example, the cuts 7 are formed at predetermined intervals in the lower inner surface of the main body 3 along the length direction of the protector 1. Due to the cuts 7, the thickness of the weak rigid wall portion 5 becomes approximately half the thickness of the other portions. Of course, the walls may be made thinner with different patterns. That is, the cuts 7 may be formed along a straight line or a curve, or in a zigzag manner, or may intersect each other. The cuts 7 and the like may be formed on the outer surface or both surfaces.

The electric wire in the protector 1 is urged downward by gravity, and thus toward the weak rigid wall portion 5. When the side walls 2, 4 of the protector 1 are pressed toward each other,
The weak rigid wall 5 deforms downward, allowing the wires in the protector 1 to descend from the pressing zone, ie from the zone where the wires are crushed.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG.
5 extends to the side walls 102,104. This embodiment is preferably applied when there is not enough space below the protector 101 or when it is desirable or desirable to displace the electric wire in a specific direction. Also in this embodiment, the notch 107 is formed in the lower inner surface of the protector 101.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG.
5 and the wall almost facing the protector 201
Are designed to deform in substantially the same direction when deformed. In particular, in the case of the weak rigid wall portion 205 in which the lower wall portion is designed to deform downward, the side wall 20 of the protector 201
2, 204 are pressed toward each other, they are deformed downward, hit the accommodated electric wires, and deform the weak rigid wall portion 20.
The cover 210 may be slightly curved, in particular concave, so as to push the wires towards the area open from 5, ie the deformation of the cover 210 assists the action of gravity on the accommodated wires. The other features of the second and third embodiments are the same as those of the first embodiment, and will not be described.

[0028] The shape of the protector itself may be set so that when deformation occurs, the side wall and the cover urge the electric wire in the direction of the weak rigid wall portion. In addition, it is preferable to form a sliding surface that polishes or smoothes the inner surface of the protector to facilitate displacement of the accommodated electric wire. Further, an urging means may be provided. In particular, a spring (not shown) may be provided on the cover to urge the housing wire toward the weak rigid wall portion.

In particular, in the case of a major accident, the side wall is crushed, the weak rigid wall portion is broken open, and the electric wire can be completely released from the protector to a portion of the vehicle body that is not crushed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cut 7 on the inner surface of the weak rigid wall portion 5 is formed along substantially the entire length of the protector, and is divided into two parts by the reinforcement 20. The perspective view of FIG. 4 shows only a portion of both sides of the preferred protector reinforcement 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the protector cylinder has a straight shape, but may be formed to be curved, bent, or any other suitable shape according to the requirements of the vehicle body structure to which the protector of the present invention is mounted.

The electric wires in the portion accommodated in the protector must be longer than the protector so as to descend from the protector, particularly when the weak rigid wall is broken open, and are bound to avoid jamming at the time of displacement. must not. Further, by using unbound wires, individual wires constituting the wire harness can be easily replaced.

A particularly preferred protector shown in FIG. 5 has basically the same structure as that of the above-described embodiment. In FIG.
The protector 301 includes an open cover 310 connected to the upright side wall 304 via hinge means 312. The connection between the upright side wall 304 and the lower wall is curved. On the opposite side of the lower wall, there is a side wall 302 that is considerably inclined with the lower wall.
Is formed. Side wall 302
Are connected to an upper upright side wall 302 'that forms a locking mechanism 314 with the cover 310.

FIG. 6 shows the lower part of the protector 301 shown in FIG. 5 in more detail. Specifically, the lower wall portion and the side wall portion 30
The curved connection portions 2 and 304 are thinned by forming cuts 307 in the outer surface of the protector 301.
In addition, in this embodiment, a cut 307 is formed on the inner surface and the outer surface of the protector at the lower portion of the protector, that is, the weak rigid wall portion 305. Notch 307
Corresponds to about 1/3 to 1/2 of the thickness of the adjacent part. Also, cuts 30 in the inner and outer surfaces of the lower wall
7 are preferably offset from each other as shown in FIG. The protectors shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may include one or more features of the foregoing embodiments.

The fail-safe function of the protector 1 will be described below. The protector 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is preferably mounted on a body part or panel, particularly between the cowl panel 510 and the reinforcing member 520 in the vehicle, as shown in FIG. The reinforcing member 520 made of a metal rod extending in the lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is mounted via a mounting reinforcement 530 made of, for example, metal extending in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. The protector 1 accommodates several electric wires connected to different electric components of a vehicle. In the case of a frontal collision, the electric wire conventionally housed in the protector is confined between the cowl panel 510, the reinforcing member 520, and the reinforcing member 530 when any one or all of them are deformed. In the case of a major accident, the electric wire may be crushed between the cowl panel 510, the reinforcing member 520, and the reinforcing member 530, and may exert an unreasonable effect on the electric wire. On the other hand, when the protector of the present invention is used, the wire housed in a loose state can escape from the impact or squeezed portion. When the pressing force is applied to the protector 1, the weak rigid wall portion 5 is deformed, and forms a space where the electric wire can escape. When a predetermined amount of deformation occurs, the protector 1 opens when an engaging portion (not shown) is disengaged or when the crushable weak rigid wall portion is broken, thereby providing a wider electric wire escape space.
When the protector 1 is mounted horizontally, gravity helps the wires to deform or displace to the open weak rigid wall.

【The invention's effect】

With the protector of the present invention, the wire can be lowered, displaced, or ejected from the squeezed portion, causing the wire to be crushed and the resulting force to be exerted on the wire. Can be avoided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a protector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a protector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a protector according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the protector of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a protector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a lower portion of the protector of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a typical arrangement of a protector between a cowl panel and a reinforcing member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 101, 201, 301 ... protector 3, 103, 203, 303 ... main body 5, 105, 205, 305 ... weak rigid wall 7, 107, 207, 307 ... cut 10, 110, 210, 310 ... cover 20 ... reinforcement 510 ... cowl panel 520 ... reinforcement member 530 ... attachment reinforcement

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A protector for accommodating an electric wire, said at least one rigidity-reduced wall (5; 105; 20).
5; 305) having a long cylindrical body (1; 101; 20).
1; 301), and the weak rigid wall portion (5; 105; 20) is provided.
5; 305) is a protector characterized in that the wire harness is displaced while allowing deformation of the cylindrical body (1; 101; 201; 301). 2. The weak rigid wall portion (5; 105; 205; 30).
5) is a predetermined amount of cylindrical body (1; 101; 201; 301)
2. The protector according to claim 1, wherein the protector can be opened when the deformation occurs. 3. The weak rigid wall portion (5; 105; 205; 30).
5. The protector according to claim 1, wherein 5) is formed by thinning and / or by making a cut (7; 107; 207; 307). 4. The weak rigid wall portion (5; 105; 205; 30).
5. The protector according to claim 1, wherein 5) is made of a material having low strength and / or low rigidity. 5. The weak rigid wall portion (5; 105; 205; 30).
5) is located substantially below the cylindrical body (1; 101; 201), and in particular, the side walls (2, 4, 102, 104; 202, 204; 302, 302) of the cylindrical body (1; 101; 201; 301).
8. The protector according to claim 1, wherein said protectors are deformed by being pushed together. 6. The weak rigid wall portion (5; 105; 205; 30).
The protector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wall (5) and a wall substantially opposed to the wall are formed so as to be deformable in the same direction.