WO2024122486A1 - Path regulation member and wire harness - Google Patents

Abstract

A path regulation member (20) includes a curved component (30A) having a cylindrical holding section (31), which holds a wire member (11) and has a curved section (30R), and a coupling section (40). The path regulation member (20) includes a curved component (30B) having a cylindrical holding section (31), which holds the wire member (11) and has a curved section (30R), and a coupling section (50) coupled to the coupling section (40) of the curved component (30A) by means of a bending reaction force of the wire member (11).

Description

Route control member and wire harness

This disclosure relates to a path control member and a wire harness.

Conventionally, a wire harness that is arranged inside a vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle is known that includes an electric wire member and a path regulating member that regulates the path of the electric wire member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The path regulating member is provided, for example, at a bent portion in the wiring path of the electric wire member. The bent shape of the bent portion of the electric wire member is maintained by the path regulating member.

JP 2019-53894 A

In the above-mentioned wire harness, multiple regulating parts may be connected to form a single path regulating member. In this case, it is desirable to maintain the connection between the multiple regulating parts.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a path control member and a wire harness that can maintain a good connection state.

The path control member of the present disclosure is a path control member that controls the path of an electric wire member, and includes a first bending part having a first cylindrical holding part that holds the electric wire member and has a first bending part and a first connecting part, a second bending part having a cylindrical second holding part that holds the electric wire member and has a second bending part, and a second connecting part that is connected to the first connecting part by utilizing the bending reaction force of the electric wire member.

The path control member and wire harness disclosed herein have the effect of maintaining a good connection state.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a wire harness according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the wire harness of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the wire harness of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the wire harness of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a path regulating member according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bent part according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a path regulating member according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a method of assembling the path regulating member according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a method of assembling the path regulating member according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a path regulating member according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing a path regulating member according to a modified example. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a bent part according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a bending part according to a modified example. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a path regulating member according to a modified example. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a modified wire harness.

[Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.
[1] The path regulating member of the present disclosure is a path regulating member that regulates the path of an electric wire member, and includes: a first bending part that has a tubular first holding part that holds the electric wire member and has a first bent part, and a first connecting part; a second bending part that has a tubular second holding part that holds the electric wire member and has a second bent part, and a second connecting part that is connected to the first connecting part by utilizing the bending reaction force of the electric wire member.

With this configuration, the first connecting portion of the first bending part and the second connecting portion of the second bending part are connected to each other by utilizing the bending reaction force of the electric wire member, and thus the first bending part and the second bending part are connected to each other. This allows the first bending part and the second bending part to be directly connected, and a single path control member can be formed by combining these first bending part and second bending part.

When a single path regulating member is formed by connecting multiple regulating parts, the bending reaction force of the wire member usually acts to release the connection state of the multiple regulating parts. In contrast, in the above configuration, the bending reaction force of the wire member is used to connect the first connecting part and the second connecting part, and the bending reaction force of the wire member is used to connect the first bent part and the second bent part. This makes it possible to preferably prevent the connection state between the first connecting part and the second connecting part, and the connection state between the first bent part and the second bent part from being released due to the bending reaction force of the wire member. As a result, even if the bending reaction force of the wire member is applied to the path regulating member, the connection state between the first bent part and the second bent part can be preferably maintained.

[2] In the above [1], the first connecting portion may be provided on an outer side of the bend of the first bent portion, and the second connecting portion may be provided on an outer side of the bend of the second bent portion.
With this configuration, a first connecting portion can be provided on the outer side of the first bent portion where the bending reaction force of the wire member acts, and a second connecting portion can be provided on the outer side of the second bent portion where the bending reaction force of the wire member acts.

[3] In the above [2], the first connecting portion may have a first contact surface formed so as to extend from an axial end face of the first retaining portion to the radially outer side of the first retaining portion, and the second connecting portion may have a second contact surface formed so as to extend from an axial end face of the second retaining portion to the radially outer side of the second retaining portion and in contact with the first contact surface, and the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be connected such that the first contact surface and the second contact surface come into contact with each other due to a bending reaction force of the electric wire member.

According to this configuration, the first contact surface of the first connecting portion and the second contact surface of the second connecting portion are brought into contact with each other by the bending reaction force of the electric wire member. In other words, the bending reaction force of the electric wire member applies a force to the path regulating member that brings the first contact surface and the second contact surface closer to each other. At this time, the first contact surface is formed so as to extend radially outward from the first holding portion, and the second contact surface is formed so as to extend radially outward from the second holding portion. Therefore, the contact area between the first bent part and the second bent part can be made larger than when only the axial end faces of the first holding portion and the second holding portion are in contact with each other. This allows the load applied to the path regulating member by the bending reaction force of the electric wire member to be suitably distributed to the first contact surface and the second contact surface as well. As a result, stress concentration on a part of the first bent part and a part of the second bent part can be suitably suppressed, and damage to the first bent part and the second bent part due to stress concentration can be suitably suppressed.

[4] In the above [3], the first connecting portion has a recess recessed from the first contact surface, and the second connecting portion has a protrusion protruding from the second contact surface toward the recess and fitted into the recess, and the protrusion may engage with the inner surface of the recess in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first retaining portion.

With this configuration, when the first contact surface of the first connecting part and the second contact surface of the second connecting part come into contact with each other, the convex part of the second connecting part is fitted into the concave part so as to engage with the inner surface of the concave part of the first connecting part in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first holding part. The engagement between the convex part and the inner surface of the concave part makes it possible to suppress relative movement of the second bending part with respect to the first bending part in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first holding part.

[5] In the above [4], the tip of the convex portion may have an engaging convex portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the convex portion, and the inner end of the concave portion may have an engaging concave portion into which the engaging convex portion is fitted, and the engaging convex portion may engage with the inner surface of the engaging concave portion in the fitting direction of the convex portion relative to the concave portion.

With this configuration, the engaging protrusion provided at the tip of the protrusion engages with the inner surface of the engaging recess in the fitting direction of the protrusion. This effectively prevents the protrusion from coming out of the recess.

[6] In any of [1] to [5] above, the first bending part may have a third connecting part provided on the inner side of the bend of the first bending part, the second bending part may have a fourth connecting part provided on the inner side of the bend of the second bending part and connected to the third connecting part, the third connecting part may have a support shaft extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the first holding part, and the fourth connecting part may have a gripping part that grips the support shaft and is connected to the third connecting part so as to be rotatable relative to the third connecting part with the support shaft as a rotation axis.

With this configuration, when the gripping portion of the fourth connecting portion grips the support shaft of the third connecting portion, the fourth connecting portion can be rotated relative to the third connecting portion around the support shaft as the rotation axis. As a result, when the gripping portion grips the support shaft, the second bending part can be rotated relative to the first bending part around the support shaft as the rotation axis. Therefore, the relative rotation of the second bending part with respect to the first bending part can be supported by the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion. Therefore, the second bending part can be rotated relative to the first bending part along a specific trajectory.

[7] In the above [6], the third connecting portion may have a notch provided on an axial end surface of the first holding portion, the notch being provided in a circumferential middle portion of the first holding portion, and the support shaft may be provided inside the notch.

With this configuration, the support shaft is provided inside a notch provided in the circumferential middle portion of the first holding portion. Therefore, the support shaft can be supported by the first holding portion that forms the notch from both sides in the direction in which the support shaft extends, i.e., in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the first holding portion. This improves the strength of the support shaft compared to when the support shaft is supported in a cantilevered manner by the first holding portion.

[8] In the above [7], the support shaft may be a separate part from the first holding portion.
According to this configuration, the first holding portion and the support shaft can be made of different materials. This increases the degree of freedom in selecting materials for the first holding portion and the support shaft. For example, the strength of the support shaft can be increased by forming the support shaft to be harder than the first holding portion.

[9] In any of [6] to [8] above, the first retaining portion has a bottom wall and a first side wall and a second side wall protruding from both side edges of the bottom wall, the first bending part has a first end and a second end in the axial direction of the first bending part, the first bending part includes the first connecting part provided at the first end of the first side wall, the third connecting part provided at the first end of the second side wall, a fifth connecting part provided at the second end of the first side wall, and a sixth connecting part provided at the second end of the second side wall, the fifth connecting part having the same structure as the second connecting part, and the sixth connecting part having the same structure as the fourth connecting part.

According to this configuration, a first connecting portion that is connected to the second connecting portion of the second bending part is provided at the first end of the first bending part, and a third connecting portion that is connected to the fourth connecting portion of the second bending part is provided. Furthermore, a fifth connecting portion having the same structure as the second connecting portion of the second bending part is provided at the second end of the first bending part, and a sixth connecting portion having the same structure as the fourth connecting portion of the second bending part is provided. Therefore, another first bending part can be connected to the second end of the first bending part. This makes it possible to easily change the number of first bending parts and second bending parts that are directly connected. As a result, the bending angle in the path regulating member can be easily changed.

[10] In the above [9], the second bending part may have the same structure as the first bending part.
According to this configuration, two first and second bending parts having the same structure are directly connected to each other. This makes it possible to change the bending angle of the path regulating member compared to the case where the first bending part is used alone. In this way, the bending angle of the path regulating member can be easily changed by adjusting the number of first bending parts and second bending parts having the same structure that are connected. As a result, the versatility of the first bending part and the second bending part can be improved, and thus the versatility of the path regulating member can be improved.

[11] A wire harness according to the present disclosure includes the path regulating member according to any one of the above [1] to [10], and the electric wire member, the path of which is regulated by the path regulating member.
According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the path regulating member described above in [1].

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of the path regulating member and the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configurations may be exaggerated or simplified. In addition, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ in each drawing. In this specification, "orthogonal,""parallel," and "total length" include not only strictly orthogonal, parallel, and total length, but also approximately orthogonal, parallel, and total length within the range of the action and effect of this embodiment. In this specification, "same" or "equal" includes not only exactly the same or exactly equal, but also a case where there is a slight difference between the compared objects due to the influence of dimensional tolerances, etc. In addition, "cylindrical" as used in the description of this specification includes not only those in which a peripheral wall is formed continuously around the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, but also those in which a plurality of parts are combined to form a cylindrical shape, and those having a notch in a part of the circumferential direction such as a C-shape or U-shape. The shape of "cylindrical" includes, but is not limited to, a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon with sharp or rounded corners. In addition, "opposite" in this specification refers to surfaces or members being in front of each other, and includes not only the case where they are completely in front of each other, but also the case where they are partially in front of each other. In addition, "opposite" in this specification includes both the case where a member other than the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and the case where nothing is interposed between the two parts. In addition, some drawings show X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis which are mutually perpendicular. In the following description, for convenience, the direction extending along the X-axis is referred to as the X-axis direction, the direction extending along the Y-axis is referred to as the Y-axis direction, and the direction extending along the Z-axis is referred to as the Z-axis direction. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

(Overall configuration of wire harness 10)
The wire harness 10 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle V such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. The wire harness 10 electrically connects two or more electrical devices to each other. The wire harness 10 electrically connects, for example, an inverter M1 installed at the front of the vehicle V and a high-voltage battery M2 installed behind the inverter M1. The wire harness 10 is arranged in the vehicle V such that, for example, a middle part in the axial direction (length direction) of the wire harness 10 passes outside the vehicle compartment such as under the floor of the vehicle V. The inverter M1 is connected, for example, to a wheel drive motor (not shown) that serves as a power source for running the vehicle. The inverter M1 generates AC power from DC power of the high-voltage battery M2 and supplies the AC power to the motor. The high-voltage battery M2 is, for example, a battery capable of supplying a voltage of several hundred volts.

The wire harness 10 includes an electric wire member 11. The electric wire member 11 includes one or more electric wires 12 and a cylindrical exterior member 13 that surrounds the outer periphery of the electric wires 12. A first end in the length direction of the electric wires 12 is connected to the inverter M1, and a second end in the length direction of the electric wires 12 is connected to the high-voltage battery M2.

The electric wire 12 is, for example, a thick electric wire having a large conductor cross-sectional area. Here, in this specification, a "thick electric wire" is an electric wire having a conductor cross-sectional area of 10 mm ² (so-called 10 sq) or more. The exterior member 13 has, for example, a long cylindrical shape as a whole. The exterior member 13 has a function of protecting the electric wire 12 inside from, for example, flying objects and water droplets. The exterior member 13 is, for example, flexible and can be easily bent. Examples of the flexible exterior member 13 include a corrugated tube made of synthetic resin and a waterproof cover made of rubber.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire member 11 is bent two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally, for example, when mounted on the vehicle V. The electric wire member 11 of this embodiment has a straight portion 14A extending linearly along the X-axis direction, a bent portion 15A provided at the end of the straight portion 14A, and a straight portion 14B extending linearly from the bent portion 15A along the Y-axis direction. The electric wire member 11 of this embodiment has a bent portion 15B provided at the end of the straight portion 14B, and a straight portion 14C extending linearly from the bent portion 15B along the X-axis direction. Thus, the electric wire member 11 has multiple (here, two) bent portions 15A, 15B.

The bent portion 15A is formed, for example, so as to bend the path of the electric wire member 11 at a bend angle θ1. Here, the bend angle θ1 is the angle between the central axis L1 of the straight portion 14A and the central axis L2 of the straight portion 14B. The bent portion 15A bends the path of the electric wire member 11 so that the bend angle θ1 is 90°. The bent portion 15A is formed, for example, so as to bend the path of the electric wire member 11 to the left in the figure with respect to the central axis L1 of the straight portion 14A. In other words, the bent portion 15A is formed so as to bend the path of the electric wire member 11 to the left at a bend angle θ1 of 90° with respect to the central axis L1 of the straight portion 14A.

The bent portion 15B bends the path of the electric wire member 11 so that the bending angle θ2 between the central axis L2 of the straight portion 14B and the central axis L3 of the straight portion 14C is 90°. The bent portion 15B is formed, for example, so as to bend the path of the electric wire member 11 to the right in the figure with respect to the central axis L2 of the straight portion 14B. In other words, the bent portion 15B is formed so as to bend the path of the electric wire member 11 to the right at a bending angle θ2 of 90° with respect to the central axis L2 of the straight portion 14B.

The wire harness 10 includes one or more path regulating members 20 that regulate the path of the electric wire member 11. The path regulating members 20 are attached to the outer periphery of the electric wire member 11. The path regulating members 20 are provided at least in one of the multiple bends 15A, 15B in the electric wire member 11, and maintain the bent shape of the electric wire member 11 at the bends 15A, 15B. The wire harness 10 of this embodiment includes two path regulating members 20A, 20B. The two path regulating members 20A, 20B are provided corresponding to the two bends 15A, 15B, respectively.

(Configuration of path regulating members 20A and 20B)
The multiple path regulating members 20A, 20B are provided, for example, spaced apart from each other in the length direction of the electric wire member 11. Each of the path regulating members 20A, 20B includes, for example, multiple bending parts 30. The path regulating members 20A, 20B are set, for example, so that the number, arrangement direction, and the like of the bending parts 30 are different in accordance with the bending shapes of the corresponding bending portions 15A, 15B.

(Configuration of the path regulating member 20A)
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the path regulating member 20A is configured such that two bending parts 30 are arranged along the length direction of the electric wire member 11. In the following description, for convenience, the bending part 30 provided at a position close to the straight part 14B of the two bending parts 30 may be referred to as the "bending part 30A", and the bending part 30 provided at a position close to the straight part 14A may be referred to as the "bending part 30B". The bending parts 30A and 30B are connected to each other by utilizing the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 (see FIG. 9). The bending parts 30A and 30B are connected to each other so that their positional relationship is maintained by utilizing the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11. Here, the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 is a force that attempts to return the electric wire member 11 to its original straight state after it is bent like the bending part 15A. The curved parts 30A and 30B are configured so that, for example, when the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 is not applied, the mutually connected state can be easily released.

Each of the bending parts 30A, 30B holds an exterior member 13. The exterior member 13 is, for example, less likely to bend than when the bending parts 30A, 30B are not attached. The bending parts 30A, 30B are, for example, made of metal or resin. In this embodiment, the bending parts 30A, 30B are made of resin. The bending parts 30A, 30B can be made of synthetic resin, such as polypropylene, polyamide, polyacetal, etc. The bending parts 30A and 30B can be made of different materials or the same material.

The bending parts 30A and 30B are attached to the outer periphery of the exterior member 13, for example, at the bending portion 15A of the path of the electric wire member 11. The bending parts 30A and 30B regulate the path of the electric wire member 11 at the bending portion 15A.

(Configuration of Bent Parts 30A, 30B)
Next, a specific structure of the curved parts 30A and 30B will be described. Since the curved parts 30A and 30B have the same structure, the same reference numerals are used for similar configurations, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bending part 30A has a cylindrical holding part 31 (first holding part) that holds the electric wire member 11 and has a bending part 30R (first bending part). The bending part 30A has a connecting part 40 (first connecting part), a connecting part 50 (fifth connecting part), a connecting part 60 (third connecting part), and a connecting part 70 (sixth connecting part). The bending part 30B has a cylindrical holding part 31 (second holding part) that holds the electric wire member 11 and has a bending part 30R (second bending part). The bending part 30B has a connecting part 40, a connecting part 50 (second connecting part), a connecting part 60, and a connecting part 70 (fourth connecting part).

As shown in FIG. 4, the retaining portion 31 is cylindrical and covers the outer periphery of the exterior member 13 in a portion of the circumferential direction of the exterior member 13. The cross-sectional shape of the retaining portion 31 is generally U-shaped. As shown in FIG. 3, the retaining portion 31 is formed in a bent shape having a bent portion 30R that is bent at a predetermined bend angle θ. In this embodiment, the bend angle θ at the bent portion 30R is set to 45°. The axial direction of the cylindrical retaining portion 31 extends so as to be bent at the predetermined bend angle θ.

The holding portion 31 has, for example, a bottom wall 32 and two side walls 33, 34 protruding from both side edges of the bottom wall 32. The bottom wall 32 extends so as to bend at a predetermined bending angle θ, for example, when viewed in a plan view from the Z-axis direction. The bottom wall 32 is formed so as to be curved in an arc, for example, when viewed in a plan view from the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the cross-sectional shape of the bottom wall 32 is formed, for example, in an arc shape.

Each side wall 33, 34 is formed integrally and continuously with the bottom wall 32. Each side wall 33, 34 protrudes, for example, from each of both widthwise edges of the bottom wall 32 in the Z-axis direction. The two side walls 33, 34 face each other, for example, in the width direction of the bottom wall 32. Each side wall 33, 34 is formed, for example, in a plate shape. The cross-sectional shape of each side wall 33, 34 is formed in a rectangular shape extending linearly along the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, sidewall 33 is provided on the outer side of the bent portion 30R of both widthwise edges of bottom wall 32. Sidewall 34 is provided on the inner side of the bent portion 30R of both widthwise edges of bottom wall 32. The inner and outer circumferential surfaces of sidewalls 33, 34 are formed to be curved in an arc shape when viewed in a plan view from the Z-axis direction. Each sidewall 33, 34 extends, for example, over the entire axial length of retaining portion 31. The length dimension of sidewall 33 along the axial direction of retaining portion 31 is greater than the length dimension of sidewall 34 along the axial direction of retaining portion 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bending part 30A has an insertion opening 35 that opens in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the bending part 30A. The insertion opening 35 is formed by a gap between the upper end of the side wall 33 and the upper end of the side wall 34. The insertion opening 35 extends, for example, along the axial direction of the bending part 30A over the entire axial length of the bending part 30A. In other words, the insertion opening 35 is formed so as to open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the bending part 30A and to open at both ends of the axial direction of the bending part 30A.

The bending part 30A has an end 36 and an end 37 in the axial direction of the bending part 30A. The end 36 is, for example, an end opposite the bending part 30B. The end 37 is an end provided on the opposite side of the end 36 in the axial direction of the bending part 30A.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the connecting portion 40 is provided at the end 36 of the side wall 33. The connecting portion 50 is provided at the end 37 of the side wall 33. The connecting portion 60 is provided at the end 36 of the side wall 34. The connecting portion 70 is provided at the end 37 of the side wall 34. At the end 36 of the bending part 30A, the connecting portion 40 is provided at the side wall 33, and the connecting portion 60 is provided at the side wall 34. As shown in Fig. 4, the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A is connected to the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B. The connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B is connected to the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A by utilizing the bending reaction force F1 (see Fig. 9) of the electric wire member 11. The connecting portion 60 of the bending part 30A is connected to the connecting portion 70 of the bending part 30B.

Next, a specific structure of the connecting portion 40 will be described. Here, the description will be made mainly with reference to the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A.
6, the connecting portion 40 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33 at the end portion 36. That is, the connecting portion 40 is provided on the outer side of the bent portion 30R.

The connecting portion 40 has a first protrusion 41 that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33 at the end 36 toward the radial outside of the holding portion 31. The first protrusion 41 is provided, for example, only on the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33. In other words, the first protrusion 41 is not provided on the outer circumferential surface of the bottom wall 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the first protrusion 41 has a first contact surface 42. The first contact surface 42 is formed so as to extend from the axial end surface of the side wall 33 at the end 36 toward the radial outside of the holding portion 31. The first contact surface 42 extends, for example, along the height direction of the side wall 33. The first contact surface 42 is formed integrally and continuously with the axial end surface of the side wall 33 at the end 36. The first contact surface 42 is formed flush with the axial end surface of the side wall 33 at the end 36. The first contact surface 42 is provided so as to face the bending part 30B.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first protrusion 41 extends from the first contact surface 42 toward the end 37 along the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The first protrusion 41 extends to the middle portion of the side wall 33 in the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The first protrusion 41 is formed, for example, such that the amount of protrusion from the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33 decreases from the first contact surface 42 toward the end 37. In other words, the amount of protrusion of the first protrusion 41 from the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33 is greatest at the first contact surface 42. The first protrusion 41 is formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the connecting portion 40 has a recess 43 recessed from the first contact surface 42 toward the end portion 37. The recess 43 extends from the first contact surface 42 to the middle of the length of the first protruding portion 41. The recess 43 is formed, for example, so that the opening width becomes smaller from the first contact surface 42 toward the bottom of the recess 43. The recess 43 is formed, for example, so that its planar shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction is triangular.

As shown in FIG. 5, the recess 43 is provided in the middle of the first contact surface 42 in the height direction (here, the Z-axis direction). The recess 43 is provided in the middle of the first contact surface 42 in the height direction. The recess 43 extends along the Z-axis direction.

Next, a specific structure of the connecting portion 50 will be described. Here, the description will be made mainly with reference to the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30A.
The connecting portion 50 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33 at the end portion 37. That is, the connecting portion 50 is provided on the outer side of the bent portion 30R.

As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting portion 50 has a second protrusion 51 that protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33 at the end portion 37. The second protrusion 51 is provided, for example, only on the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 33. In other words, the second protrusion 51 is not provided on the outer circumferential surface of the bottom wall 32. The second protrusion 51 has a second contact surface 52. The second contact surface 52 is formed so as to extend radially outward from the axial end surface of the side wall 33 at the end portion 37. The second contact surface 52 extends, for example, along the height direction of the side wall 33. The second contact surface 52 is formed integrally and continuously with the axial end surface of the side wall 33 at the end portion 37. The second contact surface 52 is formed flush with the axial end surface of the side wall 33 at the end portion 37. As shown in FIG. 5, the second contact surface 52 of the bending part 30B is provided so as to face the first contact surface 42 of the bending part 30A. The second contact surface 52 of the bent part 30B is arranged to come into contact with the first contact surface 42 of the bent part 30A by the bending reaction force F1 (see FIG. 9) of the electric wire member 11.

3, the second protrusion 51 extends from the second contact surface 52 toward the end 36 along the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The second protrusion 51 extends to the middle part of the side wall 33 in the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The second protrusion 51 does not extend to the first protrusion 41 in the axial direction of the holding portion 31. That is, the first protrusion 41 and the second protrusion 51 are provided apart from each other in the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The second protrusion 51 is formed, for example, so that the amount of protrusion from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 33 decreases from the second contact surface 52 toward the end 36. In other words, the amount of protrusion from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 33 of the second protrusion 51 is largest at the second contact surface 52. The second protrusion 51 is formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the connecting portion 50 has a convex portion 53 that protrudes outward from the holding portion 31 from the second contact surface 52 toward the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The convex portion 53 of the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B protrudes from the second contact surface 52 toward the concave portion 43 of the bending part 30A. The convex portion 53 of the bending part 30B is fitted into the concave portion 43 of the bending part 30A. As shown in FIG. 5, the convex portion 53 is formed in a tapered shape that becomes thinner as it moves away from the second contact surface 52. The convex portion 53 is formed in, for example, a pointed shape. The convex portion 53 is formed in, for example, a cone shape. The convex portion 53 in this embodiment is formed in a gable shape. The convex portion 53 is formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction.

The convex portion 53 is provided in the middle of the second contact surface 52 in the height direction (here, the Z-axis direction). The convex portion 53 is provided in the middle of the second contact surface 52 in the height direction. The convex portion 53 is provided at a position equal to the concave portion 43 in the height direction of the side wall 33. The convex portion 53 extends along the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the first contact surface 42 of the bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the bending part 30B come into contact with each other, the convex portion 53 of the bending part 30B is engaged with the concave portion 43 of the bending part 30A. At this time, the inner surface of the concave portion 43 and the convex portion 53 are engaged with each other in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31, specifically in the height direction of the side wall 33 (here, the Z-axis direction). This makes it possible to suitably suppress the bending part 30B from moving relative to the bending part 30A in the Z-axis direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31. As a result, it is possible to suppress the bending part 30B from shifting in position relative to the bending part 30A in the Z-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31. In this way, the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A and the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B function as a position shift suppression mechanism that suppresses the position shift of the bending part 30B relative to the bending part 30A. The connecting parts 40 and 50, which function to suppress misalignment, are provided on the outside of the bend of the bending part 30R.

Next, a specific structure of the connecting portion 60 will be described. Here, the description will be made mainly with reference to the connecting portion 60 of the bending part 30A.
5, the connecting portion 60 is provided on the inner side of the bent portion 30R. The connecting portion 60 has, for example, a notch 61 provided in the side wall 34 at the end portion 36 and a support shaft 62 protruding from the inner surface of the notch 61. The support shaft 62 is, for example, formed integrally and continuously with the inner surface of the notch 61.

The cutout 61 is formed by cutting out a portion of the axial end face of the side wall 34 at the end 36. The cutout 61 is formed so as to be recessed from the axial end face of the side wall 34 at the end 36 toward the end 37. The cutout 61 extends along the length of the side wall 34, i.e., along the axial direction of the retaining portion 31. The cutout 61 is formed, for example, so as to be recessed from the top surface of the side wall 34 toward the bottom wall 32. The cutout 61 extends along the height direction of the side wall 34 (here, the Z-axis direction). The cutout 61 is formed so as to penetrate the side wall 34 in the thickness direction (plate thickness direction).

The inner surface of the notch 61 has a first inner surface 61A and a second inner surface 61B. The first inner surface 61A is an end surface provided at a position closest to the lower end of the notch 61, i.e., the bottom wall 32, in the height direction of the side wall 34. The first inner surface 61A is formed, for example, so as to extend in the length direction of the side wall 34 and also in the thickness direction of the side wall 34. The first inner surface 61A is, for example, a plane extending parallel to the XY plane. The second inner surface 61B is an end surface provided at a position closest to the end 37 of the notch 61 in the length direction of the side wall 34. The second inner surface 61B is formed, for example, so as to extend in the height direction of the side wall 34 and also in the thickness direction of the side wall 34. As shown in FIG. 3, the second inner surface 61B is formed, for example, as a curved surface whose planar shape when viewed from the Z-axis direction is curved in an arc shape. The planar shape of the second inner surface 61B is formed, for example, as a curved surface that is curved so as to be concave toward the end 37.

As shown in FIG. 5, the support shaft 62 extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the holding portion 31. For example, the support shaft 62 protrudes from a part of the first inner surface 61A of the cutout portion 61 toward the height direction of the side wall 34. The support shaft 62 extends linearly from the first inner surface 61A along the Z-axis direction. For example, the support shaft 62 extends to a height equal to the upper surface of the side wall 34. For example, the protruding tip surface of the support shaft 62 is provided on the same plane as the upper surface of the side wall 34. The support shaft 62 is formed in a columnar shape. The support shaft 62 in this embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape with a solid structure. The support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A is provided in a part of the first inner surface 61A away from the second inner surface 61B. The support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A is provided in the axial direction of the holding portion 31 at the end of the first inner surface 61A opposite the second inner surface 61B, that is, at the end closest to the bending part 30B. The support shaft 62 is formed, for example, in a cantilever shape with the base end connected to the first inner surface 61A as the fixed end and the tip opposite the base end as the free end.

Next, a specific structure of the connecting portion 70 will be described. Here, the description will be made mainly with reference to the connecting portion 70 of the bending part 30B.
The connecting portion 70 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 34 at the end portion 37. That is, the connecting portion 70 is provided on the inner side of the bent portion 30R. The connecting portion 70 has, for example, a gripping portion 71 that grips the support shaft 62 of the connecting portion 60. The gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B is configured to be rotatable relative to the connecting portion 60 of the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 as a rotation axis while gripping the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A. The bending part 30B is configured to be rotatable relative to the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 as a rotation axis by the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B gripping the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A. The bending part 30B is configured to be rotatable relative to the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A as a rotation axis, for example, in the XY plane. In this way, the connecting portion 60 of the bending part 30A and the connecting portion 70 of the bending part 30B function as a rotation support mechanism that supports the relative rotation of the bending part 30B with respect to the bending part 30A. The connecting portion 60 and the connecting portion 70 that function as the rotation support mechanism are provided on the inner side of the bend of the bending part 30R.

The gripping portion 71 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 34 at the end portion 37. The gripping portion 71 is formed, for example, in a semi-cylinder shape overall. The gripping portion 71 is formed, for example, in a semi-cylinder shape having a groove portion 72. The gripping portion 71 extends along the height direction of the side wall 34 (here, the Z-axis direction). The length dimension of the gripping portion 71 along the Z-axis direction is, for example, equal to the length dimension of the support shaft 62 along the Z-axis direction.

The gripping portion 71 is formed so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 34 at the end 37 to the radially outer side of the holding portion 31. The gripping portion 71 is formed so as to protrude outward from the holding portion 31 toward the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The gripping portion 71 is formed so as to protrude outward from the axial end face of the side wall 34 at the end 37 in the axial direction of the holding portion 31. The gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B protrudes toward the bending part 30A beyond the axial end face of the side wall 34 in the axial direction of the holding portion 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B is formed so as to protrude in an arc shape from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 34 at the end 37 toward the radially outer side of the holding portion 31 and the bending part 30A. The outer peripheral surface of the gripping portion 71 is formed so as to have an arc shape in plan view when viewed from the Z-axis direction. The tip of the gripping portion 71 is formed so as to extend inward beyond the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 34 in the radial direction of the holding portion 31.

The groove portion 72 is formed so as to be recessed from the inner surface of the gripping portion 71 toward the radially outer side of the holding portion 31. The groove portion 72 is formed to a size capable of accommodating the support shaft 62. Here, the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A is accommodated in a space surrounded by the inner surface of the groove portion 72 of the bending part 30B and the axial end face of the side wall 34 of the bending part 30B. The inner surface of the groove portion 72 is formed, for example, in a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the support shaft 62. The inner surface of the groove portion 72 is formed, for example, in a planar shape in the Z-axis direction, in a circular arc shape.

As shown in FIG. 6, the groove portion 72 extends along the axial direction of the grip portion 71 (here, the Z-axis direction). For example, the groove portion 72 extends along the axial direction of the grip portion 71 over the entire axial length of the grip portion 71. The groove portion 72 opens in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the grip portion 71, specifically toward the radially inward direction of the holding portion 31, and is formed so as to open at both ends of the grip portion 71 in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B grips the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A so as to accommodate the support shaft 62 inside the groove 72. At this time, a part of the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B is inserted inside the notch 61 of the bending part 30A, specifically, into the gap between the second inner surface 61B of the notch 61 and the support shaft 62. Here, the radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the gripping portion 71 is equal to the radius of curvature of the second inner surface 61B, for example. Therefore, when the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B rotates around the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A as the rotation axis, the movement of the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B can be prevented from being restricted by the second inner surface 61B of the notch 61 of the bending part 30A.

(Connection structure of curved parts 30A, 30B)
As shown in FIG. 8, when connecting the bending part 30B to the bending part 30A, first, the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A is held by the gripping part 71 of the bending part 30B. Specifically, the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A is accommodated inside the groove portion 72 of the gripping part 71 of the bending part 30B, and the support shaft 62 is held by the gripping part 71. As a result, the connecting part 60 of the bending part 30A and the connecting part 70 of the bending part 30B are connected to each other. As a result, the bending part 30B is configured to be rotatable relative to the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A as the rotation axis. At this time, the first contact surface 42 of the connecting part 40 of the bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the connecting part 50 of the bending part 30B are not in contact with each other.

9, the bending part 30B is rotated relative to the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A as the rotation axis so that the recess 43 of the connecting part 40 of the bending part 30A and the protrusion 53 of the connecting part 50 of the bending part 30B are engaged with each other. Then, the first contact surface 42 of the bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the bending part 30B are brought into contact with each other, and the recess 43 of the bending part 30A and the protrusion 53 of the bending part 30B are engaged with each other. This connects the connecting part 40 of the bending part 30A and the connecting part 50 of the bending part 30B to each other. In the path control member 20A in the state in which the bending parts 30A and 30B are connected, the insertion port 35 of the bending part 30A and the insertion port 35 of the bending part 30B are connected to each other. However, in this state, since the bending parts 30A and 30B are not firmly connected to each other, the connection between the connecting part 40 of the bending part 30A and the connecting part 50 of the bending part 30B is easily released. For example, when the bending part 30B rotates relative to the bending part 30A in a direction in which the first contact surface 42 of the bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the bending part 30B move away from each other, with the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A as the rotation axis, the connection between the connecting part 40 and the connecting part 50 is released.

Next, the wire member 11 is prepared with the required portions bent to provide the bent portion 15A. Then, the bent parts 30A and 30B are attached to the bent portion 15A of the wire member 11. Specifically, the bent parts 30A and 30B are attached to the wire member 11 through the insertion openings 35 of the bent parts 30A and 30B. Then, the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11, which is a force that causes the wire member 11 to return to a straight state, is applied to the bent parts 30A and 30B. Specifically, the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11 acts on the side walls 33 provided on the outside of the bend of the bent portion 30R of each of the bent parts 30A and 30B. As a result, the bent parts 30A and 30B rotate relatively with the support shaft 62 of the bent part 30A as the rotation axis in a direction in which the first contact surface 42 of the bent part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the bent part 30B approach each other. Therefore, the bending parts 30A and 30B are subjected to a force F2 in a direction that brings the first contact surface 42 of the bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the bending part 30B closer to each other. As a result, the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 can continue to apply the force F2 that brings the first contact surface 42 and the second contact surface 52 closer to each other to the bending parts 30A and 30B. This can prevent the bending parts 30A and 30B from rotating relative to each other in a direction in which the first contact surface 42 and the second contact surface 52 move away from each other, so that the connection state between the connecting part 40 of the bending part 30A and the connecting part 50 of the bending part 30B can be preferably prevented from being released. Therefore, the state in which the convex part 53 of the bending part 30B is fitted into the concave part 43 of the bending part 30A can be preferably maintained. The engagement between the recess 43 and the protrusion 53 effectively prevents the bending part 30B from shifting relative to the bending part 30A in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31.

3, the wire harness 10 has a slide restricting member 80 that restricts the sliding movement of the path restricting member 20A in the length direction of the exterior member 13, for example. The slide restricting member 80 may be, for example, a resin or metal cable tie, a crimping ring, or an adhesive tape. The slide restricting member 80 in this embodiment is an adhesive tape. The slide restricting member 80 is provided at each of the first end and the second end in the axial direction of the path restricting member 20A. The slide restricting member 80 provided at the first end of the path restricting member 20A is wrapped around, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the end 37 of the bending part 30A and the outer peripheral surface of the exterior member 13. The slide restricting member 80 provided at the second end of the path restricting member 20A is wrapped around, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the end 36 of the bending part 30B and the outer peripheral surface of the exterior member 13. Although not shown, the slide restricting member 80 is also provided for the path restricting member 20B shown in FIG. 2.

(Configuration of the path regulating member 20B)
As shown in Fig. 2, the path regulating member 20B is configured such that two bending parts 30 are arranged along the length direction of the electric wire member 11. Each bending part 30 in the path regulating member 20B has the same configuration as each bending part 30 in the path regulating member 20A. However, the path regulating member 20B is arranged such that the structure of the path regulating member 20A is rotated by 180°. In other words, the bending part 30 can be used in common for the bending portion 15A, which is the left bent portion, and the bending portion 15B, which is the right bent portion. That is, the bending part 30 having the same configuration can be shared for the bending portion 15A, which is the left bent portion, and the bending portion 15B, which is the right bent portion.

Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The path regulating member 20 includes a bending part 30A having a cylindrical holding portion 31 that holds the electric wire member 11 and has a bending portion 30R, and a connecting portion 40. The path regulating member 20 includes a bending part 30B that has a cylindrical holding portion 31 that holds the electric wire member 11 and has a bending portion 30R, and a connecting portion 50 that is connected to the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A by utilizing the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11.

With this configuration, the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A and the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B are connected to each other using the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11, thereby connecting the bending part 30A and the bending part 30B to each other. This allows multiple bending parts 30A, 30B to be directly connected, and a single path control member 20 can be constructed by combining these multiple bending parts 30A, 30B.

(2) When a single path regulating member is formed by connecting multiple regulating parts, the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11 usually acts to release the connection state of the multiple regulating parts. In contrast, in the path regulating member 20 of this embodiment, the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11 is used to connect the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A to the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B. The bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11 is then used to connect the bending part 30A to the bending part 30B. Therefore, the connection state between the connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A and the connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B, and the connection state between the bending part 30A and the bending part 30B can be suitably suppressed from being released due to the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11. As a result, even when the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11 is applied to the path regulating member 20, the connection state between the bending part 30A and the bending part 30B can be suitably maintained.

Furthermore, without providing a connecting structure for firmly fixing the bending parts 30A, 30B to each other in each bending part 30A, 30B, the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 can be used to firmly fix the bending parts 30A, 30B to each other. This simplifies the connecting structure for connecting the bending parts 30A, 30B to each other.

(3) The connecting parts 40, 50 are provided on the outer side of the bend of the bent part 30R. With this configuration, the connecting parts 40, 50 can be provided on the outer side of the bend of the bent part 30R on which the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 acts.

(4) The first contact surface 42 of the connecting portion 40 of the bent part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the connecting portion 50 of the bent part 30B are brought into contact with each other by the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11. In other words, the bending reaction force F1 of the wire member 11 applies a force F2 to the path regulating member 20 to bring the first contact surface 42 and the second contact surface 52 closer to each other. At this time, the first contact surface 42 is formed so as to extend radially outward from the holding portion 31, and the second contact surface 52 is formed so as to extend radially outward from the holding portion 31. Therefore, the contact area between the bent part 30A and the bent part 30B can be made larger than when only the axial end faces of the holding portion 31 of the bent part 30A and the axial end faces of the holding portion 31 of the bent part 30B are in contact with each other. This allows the load applied to the path control member 20 by the bending reaction force F1 of the electric wire member 11 to be suitably distributed to the first contact surface 42 and the second contact surface 52. As a result, stress concentration on a part of the bending part 30A and a part of the bending part 30B can be suitably suppressed, and damage to the bending part 30A and the bending part 30B due to stress concentration can be suitably suppressed.

(5) The connecting portion 40 of the bending part 30A has a recess 43 recessed from the first contact surface 42. The connecting portion 50 of the bending part 30B has a protruding portion 53 that protrudes from the second contact surface 52 toward the recess 43 of the bending part 30A and is fitted into the recess 43. The protruding portion 53 of the bending part 30B engages with the inner surface of the recess 43 of the bending part 30A in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31. According to this configuration, when the first contact surface 42 of the bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the bending part 30B are brought into contact with each other, the protruding portion 53 of the bending part 30B is fitted into the recess 43 so as to engage with the inner surface of the recess 43 of the bending part 30A in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31. The engagement between these protruding portions 53 and the inner surface of the recess 43 can suppress the relative movement of the bending part 30B with respect to the bending part 30A in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the holding part 31.

(6) Bending part 30A has a connecting part 60 provided on the inner side of the bend of bending part 30R. Bending part 30B has a connecting part 70 provided on the inner side of the bend of bending part 30R and connected to the connecting part 60 of bending part 30A. The connecting part 60 of bending part 30A has a support shaft 62 that extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the holding part 31. The connecting part 70 of bending part 30B has a gripping part 71 that grips the support shaft 62 of bending part 30A and is connected to the connecting part 60 of bending part 30A so as to be rotatable relative to the supporting shaft 62 as a rotation axis.

With this configuration, when the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B grips the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A, the connecting portion 70 of the bending part 30B can be rotated relative to the connecting portion 60 of the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 as the rotation axis. As a result, when the gripping portion 71 of the bending part 30B grips the support shaft 62 of the bending part 30A, the bending part 30B can be rotated relative to the bending part 30A with the support shaft 62 as the rotation axis. Therefore, the relative rotation of the bending part 30B with respect to the bending part 30A can be supported by the connecting portion 60 of the bending part 30A and the connecting portion 70 of the bending part 30B. Therefore, the bending part 30B can be rotated relative to the bending part 30A along a specific trajectory.

(7) The bent part 30A includes a connecting portion 40 provided at the end 36 of the side wall 33, a connecting portion 60 provided at the end 36 of the side wall 34, a connecting portion 50 provided at the end 37 of the side wall 33, and a connecting portion 70 provided at the end 37 of the side wall 34.

According to this configuration, end 36 of bending part 30A is provided with connecting portion 40 that is connected to connecting portion 50 of bending part 30B, and connecting portion 60 that is connected to connecting portion 70 of bending part 30B. Also, end 37 of bending part 30A is provided with connecting portion 50 and connecting portion 70, similar to end 37 of bending part 30B. Therefore, another bending part 30A can be connected to end 37 of bending part 30A. This makes it easy to change the number of directly connected bending parts 30A and bending parts 30B. As a result, the bending angle in path control member 20 can be easily changed.

Other Embodiments
The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

The structure of the connecting portions 40, 50 in the above embodiment may be modified as appropriate.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, an engaging protrusion 54 protruding in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the protrusion 53 may be provided at the tip of the protrusion 53 of the connecting portion 50. The protrusion 53 of this modified example is configured to be elastically deformable, for example, in the radial direction of the holding portion 31. In this case, an engaging recess 44 into which the engaging protrusion 54 is fitted may be provided at the inner end of the recess 43 of the connecting portion 40. In this case, when the protrusion 53 of the bending part 30B is fitted into the recess 43 of the bending part 30A, the engaging protrusion 54 of the bending part 30B is fitted into the engaging recess 44 of the bending part 30A. Then, the engaging protrusion 54 of the bending part 30B is engaged with the inner surface of the engaging recess 44 of the bending part 30A in the fitting direction of the protrusion 53 relative to the recess 43. The engaging protrusion 54 and the engaging recess 44 are engaged with each other, for example, by a snap-fit method utilizing the elastic deformation of the protrusion 53. This can suitably suppress the relative movement of the convex portion 53 of the bending part 30B with respect to the concave portion 43 of the bending part 30A in the fitting direction of the convex portion 53 with respect to the concave portion 43. Therefore, it is possible to suitably suppress the convex portion 53 of the bending part 30B from coming off from the concave portion 43 of the bending part 30A. For example, even if the bending reaction force F1 (see FIG. 9 ) of the electric wire member 11 becomes small due to heat, vibration, or the like, it is possible to suppress the convex portion 53 of the bending part 30B from coming off from the concave portion 43 of the bending part 30A.

- The structure of the connecting parts 60, 70 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, the base end of the support shaft 62 of the connecting part 60 that is connected to the first inner surface 61A may be formed to be thicker than the other parts of the support shaft 62. In other words, the parts of the support shaft 62 other than the base end may be formed to be thinner than the base end of the support shaft 62. In this case, the gripping part 71 may grip the parts of the support shaft 62 other than the base end.

In the above embodiment, the support shaft 62 of the connecting portion 60 is formed in a cantilever shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The support shaft 62 of the connecting portion 60 may be formed in a double-supported shape.
For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the support shaft 62 of the connecting portion 60 may be formed to support the side wall 34 from both sides in the height direction. The cutout portion 61 of the connecting portion 60 in this modified example is provided in the circumferential middle portion of the holding portion 31. The cutout portion 61 in this modified example is provided only in the middle portion in the height direction of the side wall 34. The cutout portion 61 in this modified example has a first inner surface 61A, a second inner surface 61B, and a third inner surface 61C. The third inner surface 61C faces the first inner surface 61A in the height direction of the side wall 34. The third inner surface 61C is an end surface provided at a position closest to the upper end of the cutout portion 61, that is, the upper surface of the side wall 34, in the height direction of the side wall 34. The third inner surface 61C is formed to extend, for example, in the length direction of the side wall 34 and to extend in the thickness direction of the side wall 34. The third inner surface 61C is, for example, a plane extending parallel to the first inner surface 61A.

The support shaft 62 in this modified example is provided inside the cutout portion 61. The support shaft 62 in this modified example is formed to extend from the first inner surface 61A to the third inner surface 61C along the height direction of the side wall 34. The support shaft 62 in this modified example has a lower end connected to the first inner surface 61A and an upper end connected to the third inner surface 61C. In other words, the support shaft 62 in this modified example is supported from both sides in the height direction of the side wall 34 by the retaining portions 31 that constitute the first inner surface 61A and the third inner surface 61C.

The gripping portion 71 in this modified example is provided only at the middle part in the height direction of the side wall 34. The gripping portion 71 is provided at a position equal to the support shaft 62 in the height direction of the side wall 34. The gripping portion 71 in this modified example is formed to a size that allows it to be inserted into the space surrounded by the first inner surface 61A, the second inner surface 61B, the third inner surface 61C of the cutout portion 61, and the support shaft 62.

The configuration of this modified example improves the strength of the support shaft 62 compared to when the support shaft 62 is supported only by the first inner surface 61A. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the support shaft 62 from being damaged even when an external force such as the bending reaction force F1 (see FIG. 9) of the electric wire member 11 is applied to the support shaft 62.

In the above embodiment, the holding portion 31 and the support shaft 62 of the connecting portion 60 are integrally formed, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the support shaft 63 of the connecting portion 60 may be formed by a separate part from the holding portion 31. As shown in FIG. 13, the connecting portion 60 of this modified example has a recess 64 provided in the first inner surface 61A and a through hole 65 provided in the third inner surface 61C. The recess 64 is formed, for example, so as to be recessed from the first inner surface 61A toward the bottom wall 32. The recess 64 is provided, for example, at a position of the first inner surface 61A away from the second inner surface 61B. The through hole 65 is formed, for example, so as to penetrate the holding portion 31 constituting the third inner surface 61C, specifically the side wall 34 constituting the third inner surface 61C, in the height direction of the side wall 34. The through hole 65 is formed, for example, so as to penetrate from the third inner surface 61C to the upper surface of the side wall 34. The through hole 65 is provided, for example, at a position overlapping with the recess 64 in a plan view seen from the height direction of the side wall 34.

The support shaft 63 is formed in a columnar shape extending along the height direction of the side wall 34. The support shaft 63 of this modified example is formed in a cylindrical shape with a solid structure. The support shaft 63 is formed to be harder than the holding part 31, for example. The support shaft 63 is made of, for example, metal or resin. The material of the support shaft 63 can be, for example, a material different from that of the holding part 31. The support shaft 63 of this modified example is made of metal. The support shaft 63 is inserted, for example, into the through hole 65 and the recess 64 from above the holding part 31. The support shaft 63 passes through the through hole 65 and is fitted into the recess 64. As shown in FIG. 12, when the support shaft 63 is inserted into the through hole 65 and the recess 64, the middle part of the support shaft 63 in the length direction is exposed inside the cutout part 61. The part of the support shaft 63 exposed inside the cutout part 61 is gripped by the grip part 71 of the other bending part 30.

With this configuration, the support shaft 63 of the connecting portion 60 is formed as a separate part from the holding portion 31. This allows the holding portion 31 and the support shaft 63 to be formed from different materials. This increases the freedom in selecting materials for the holding portion 31 and the support shaft 63. For example, by forming the support shaft 63 to be harder than the holding portion 31, the strength of the support shaft 63 can be increased.

- The structure of the bending part 30 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, a reinforcing rib can be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the holding portion 31. For example, in the bending part 30, the installation positions of the connecting portion 40 and the connecting portion 50 can be reversed. That is, the connecting portion 50 having a convex portion 53 can be provided at the end portion 36 where the connecting portion 60 is provided, and the connecting portion 40 having a concave portion 43 can be provided at the end portion 37 where the connecting portion 70 is provided. For example, the magnitude of the bending angle θ at the bending portion 30R of the bending part 30 can be modified as appropriate.

- In the above embodiment, the bending parts 30A and 30B have the same configuration, but this is not limited to this. For example, the bending angle θ at the bending portion 30R (first bending portion) of the bending part 30A and the bending angle θ at the bending portion 30R (second bending portion) of the bending part 30B may be set to different angles.

- The structure of the path regulating member 20 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, by changing the combination of the bending parts 30, i.e., the number and arrangement direction of the bending parts 30, the path regulating member 20 can be formed into various structures. The number of bending parts 30 constituting the path regulating member 20 is not particularly limited.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the path regulating member 20 may be configured by connecting four bending parts 30. In this way, the bending angle of the path regulating member 20 can be changed by changing the number of bending parts 30 that are directly connected.

- For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the path control member 20 may include a lid portion 100 that covers the insertion opening 35 of the bending parts 30A and 30B. The lid portion 100 is provided, for example, to cover the entire insertion opening 35 of the bending part 30A and to cover the entire insertion opening 35 of the bending part 30B. The lid portion 100 is provided, for example, on the upper surfaces of the side walls 33 and 34 of the bending parts 30A and 30B. The lid portion 100 is connected to the bending parts 30A and 30B by, for example, a connecting member (not shown). The lid portion 100 may be formed by a body panel of the vehicle V.

The electric wire member 11 in the above embodiment does not necessarily have to include the exterior member 13. In other words, the exterior member 13 may be omitted from the electric wire member 11, and the holding portion 31 may directly hold the electric wire 12.

The electric wire member 11 in the above embodiment may include a cylindrical electromagnetic shield member that surrounds the outer periphery of the electric wire 12 .
The relative positions of the inverter M1 and the high-voltage battery M2 in the vehicle V are not limited to those in the above embodiment and may be changed as appropriate depending on the vehicle configuration.

The multiple electrical devices electrically connected by the wire harness 10 in the above embodiment are not limited to the inverter M1 and the high-voltage battery M2, but are not particularly limited as long as they are electrical devices mounted on the vehicle V.

- In the illustrated non-limiting example, the first bending part 30A and the second bending part 30B forming the path control member 20 may be referred to as multiple one-piece bending parts having the same shape and the same dimensions.

- In the non-limiting example shown, the pair of connecting portion 60 of first bending part 30A and connecting portion 70 of second bending part 30B may be referred to as a hinge axis or a detachable hinge.

In the illustrated non-limiting example, the first contact surface 42 of the first bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the second bending part 30B may be referred to as stopper surfaces configured to be in surface contact with each other, and may be, for example, smooth surfaces configured to be in direct contact with each other without any gaps. When the first contact surface 42 of the first bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the second bending part 30B are in surface contact with each other, the multiple bending parts 30A, 30B may cooperate to form a continuously extending bending groove. The electric wire member 11, which is elastically bent and deformed to accommodate the electric wire member 11 in this bending groove, presses the groove surface of this bending groove by the elastic restoring force of the electric wire member 11, rotating the first bending part 30A and the second bending part 30B around the hinge axis, and bringing the first contact surface 42 of the first bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the second bending part 30B into surface contact with each other.

In the illustrated non-limiting example, the pair of the recess 43 of the first bending part 30A and the protrusion 53 of the second bending part 30B allows the first bending part 30A and the second bending part 30B to rotate relative to each other around the hinge axis, but may be referred to as a bumpy stopper configured to prevent the contact surfaces 42, 52 from shifting and/or rattling in the in-plane direction of the contact surfaces 42, 52 or in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire member 11 when the first contact surface 42 of the first bending part 30A and the second contact surface 52 of the second bending part 30B are in direct contact with each other.

- The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Wire harness 11 Electric wire member 12 Electric wire 13 Sheathing member 14A, 14B, 14C Straight portion 15A, 15B Bent portion 20, 20A, 20B Path control member 30 Bent part 30A Bent part (first bent part)
30B Bent part (second bent part)
30R Bending portion (first bending portion, second bending portion)
31 Holding portion (first holding portion, second holding portion)
32 Bottom wall 33 Side wall (first side wall)
34 Side wall (second side wall)
35 Insertion port 36 End portion (first end portion)
37 End (second end)
40 Connection portion (first connection portion)
41 First protrusion 42 First contact surface 43 Recess 44 Engagement recess 50 Connecting portion (second connecting portion, fifth connecting portion)
51 Second protruding portion 52 Second contact surface 53 Convex portion 54 Engagement convex portion 60 Connection portion (third connection portion)
61 Notch 61A First inner surface 61B Second inner surface 61C Third inner surface 62, 63 Support shaft 64 Recess 65 Through hole 70 Connecting portion (fourth connecting portion, sixth connecting portion)
71 gripping portion 72 groove portion 80 slide restricting member 100 lid portion θ bending angle θ1, θ2 bending angle F1 bending reaction force F2 force L1, L2, L3 central axis M1 inverter M2 high voltage battery V vehicle

Claims (11)

1. A path regulation member that regulates a path of an electric wire member,
   a first bending part including a cylindrical first holding portion that holds the electric wire member and has a first bending portion and a first connecting portion;
   A path control member comprising: a second bending part having a cylindrical second holding portion that holds the electric wire member and has a second bending portion; and a second connecting portion that is connected to the first connecting portion by utilizing the bending reaction force of the electric wire member.
2. The first connecting portion is provided on an outer side of the first bent portion,
   The path regulating member according to claim 1 , wherein the second connecting portion is provided on an outer side of a bent portion of the second bent portion.
3. the first connecting portion has a first contact surface formed so as to extend from an axial end surface of the first holding portion to a radially outer side of the first holding portion,
   the second connecting portion is formed to extend radially outward from an axial end surface of the second holding portion, and has a second contact surface in contact with the first contact surface;
   The path regulating member according to claim 2 , wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are connected to each other such that the first contact surface and the second contact surface come into contact with each other due to a bending reaction force of the electric wire member.
4. The first connecting portion has a recess provided to be recessed from the first contact surface,
   the second connecting portion has a protrusion that protrudes from the second contact surface toward the recess and is fitted into the recess,
   The path regulating member according to claim 3 , wherein the protrusion engages with an inner surface of the recess in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the first holding portion.
5. a tip end of the protrusion has an engaging protrusion protruding in a direction intersecting a protruding direction of the protrusion,
   The inner end of the recess has an engagement recess into which the engagement protrusion is fitted,
   The path regulating member according to claim 4 , wherein the engaging protrusion engages with an inner surface of the engaging recess in a fitting direction of the protrusion into the recess.
6. The first bending part has a third connecting portion provided on an inner side of the first bending portion,
   the second bending part has a fourth connecting portion provided on the inner side of the bent portion of the second bending part and connected to the third connecting portion,
   the third connecting portion has a support shaft extending in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the first holding portion,
   The path regulating member according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth connecting portion has a gripping portion that grips the support shaft and is connected to the third connecting portion so as to be rotatable relative to the third connecting portion about the support shaft as a rotation axis.
7. the third connecting portion has a notch provided on an axial end surface of the first holding portion,
   The notch is provided in a circumferential middle portion of the first holding portion,
   The path regulating member according to claim 6 , wherein the support shaft is provided inside the cutout portion.
8. The path control member according to claim 7, wherein the support shaft is a separate part from the first holding portion.
9. The first holding portion has a bottom wall and a first side wall and a second side wall protruding from both side edges of the bottom wall,
   The first bending part has a first end and a second end in an axial direction of the first bending part,
   the first bending part includes the first connecting portion provided at the first end of the first side wall, the third connecting portion provided at the first end of the second side wall, a fifth connecting portion provided at the second end of the first side wall, and a sixth connecting portion provided at the second end of the second side wall,
   The fifth connecting portion has the same structure as the second connecting portion,
   The path regulating member according to claim 6 , wherein the sixth connecting portion has the same structure as the fourth connecting portion.
10. The path control member according to claim 9, wherein the second bending part has the same structure as the first bending part.
11. A path regulating member according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
    the electric wire member, the path of which is regulated by the path regulating member.

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