JP2023136686A - wire harness - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to achieve both of reliably fixing a holder to a cylindrical member and suppressing narrowing of a space for accommodating electric wires in the cylindrical member. A wire harness (10) includes electric wires (30). The wire harness 10 includes a metal pipe 40 as a cylindrical member that accommodates the electric wire 30. The wire harness 10 includes a grommet 50 as a fixing member fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe 40. The wire harness 10 includes a holder 80 provided on the inner circumferential surface 44 of the end of the metal pipe 40 and the edge 46 of the end. Grommet 50 and holder 80 are integrated. [Selection diagram] Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to a wire harness.

For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a wire harness in which an insulated wire is housed in a metal pipe as a cylindrical member made of a conductive metal material. In this wire harness, a holder is provided at the end of the metal pipe to protect the covering of the insulated wire from the edge of the metal pipe.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-35915

The holder has a portion that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe. Therefore, when a wire harness is equipped with a holder, the volume of the metal pipe that accommodates the insulated wire is smaller due to the thickness of the part that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the metal pipe, compared to when the wire harness is not equipped with a holder. Become. In this case, in order to increase the volume inside the metal pipe, it is conceivable to form the portion of the holder that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe thin. However, if the portion of the holder that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe is made thin, the holder will easily come off from the end of the metal pipe.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to achieve both of reliably fixing the holder to the cylindrical member and suppressing the space for accommodating the electric wire in the cylindrical member from being narrowed.

The wire harness of the present disclosure includes an electric wire, a cylindrical member that accommodates the electric wire, a fixing member fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member, an inner circumferential surface of an end of the cylindrical member, and an inner circumferential surface of an end of the cylindrical member. a holder provided on an edge of the fixing member, and the fixing member and the holder are integrated.

According to the wire harness of the present disclosure, it is possible to securely fix the holder to the cylindrical member and to suppress narrowing of the space for accommodating the electric wire in the cylindrical member.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a wire harness according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the holder and grommet of one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holder. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the grommet.

[Description of embodiments of the present disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and explained.
The wire harness of the present disclosure includes:
[1] An electric wire, a cylindrical member that accommodates the electric wire, a fixing member fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member, and a fixed member provided on the inner peripheral surface of the end of the cylindrical member and the edge of the end. The fixing member and the holder are integrated.

The holder is integrated with the fixing member. The fixing member is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. According to this configuration, even if the portion of the holder that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member is formed thin, the holder is difficult to come off from the end of the cylindrical member. Moreover, according to this configuration, since the portion of the holder that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member can be formed thin, the accommodating space for the electric wire in the cylindrical member is sufficiently prevented from being narrowed by the holder. Therefore, it is possible to securely fix the holder to the cylindrical member and to suppress the space for accommodating the electric wire in the cylindrical member from being narrowed.

[2] The cylindrical member is one of a first cylindrical member and a second cylindrical member, and the fixing member is connected to the end of the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member. It is preferable that the grommet be fixed in a state that it is placed over the end portion of the grommet.

According to the above configuration, the grommet can protect the electric wire from contacting foreign matter from between the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member. Then, the grommet having this protective function and the holder are integrated. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a fixing member for fixing the holder only for the purpose of fixing the holder. Therefore, the configuration of the wire harness can be simplified compared to the case where a fixing member is provided only for the purpose of fixing the holder.

[3] It is preferable to include a band for fixing the fixing member to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member.
In the above configuration, the fixing member can be fixed to the cylindrical member using the band.

[4] The fixing member is preferably made of rubber.
In the above configuration, since the fixing member is made of rubber, pressure caused by tightening the band can be effectively applied to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member by the fixing member.

[5] Preferably, the holder is made of a material different from that of the fixing member.
When the holder and the fixing member are integrated, the holder is required not only to protect the electric wire from the cylindrical member but also to be easy to fit into the cylindrical member. On the other hand, the fixing member is required to be able to be securely fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. Therefore, in the above configuration, the holder and the fixing member are made of different materials. Therefore, it becomes easy to satisfy the requirements for the holder and the fixing member.

[Details of embodiments of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, a part of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified for convenience of explanation. Further, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ in each drawing. Furthermore, "orthogonal" in this specification includes not only strictly orthogonal cases, but also approximately orthogonal cases within the range where the functions and effects of this embodiment can be achieved.

In addition, "opposing" in this specification refers to surfaces or members being in front of each other, and not only when they are completely in front of each other, but also partially in front of each other. including cases where In addition, "opposed" in this specification refers to both a case where a member different from the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and a case where nothing is interposed between the two parts. including.

"Overall configuration of wire harness"
The wire harness 10 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle V. Vehicle V may be, for example, an electric vehicle. For example, the vehicle V may be a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine in addition to the motor generator 12 as an on-vehicle prime mover.

The wire harness 10 electrically connects an inverter 14 installed at the front of the vehicle V and a high voltage battery 16 installed behind the inverter 14 in the vehicle V. The wire harness 10 is formed in a long shape so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V.

Inverter 14 converts the terminal voltage of high voltage battery 16 , which is a DC voltage source, into AC voltage and applies it to motor generator 12 . The terminal voltage of the high voltage battery 16 is, for example, several hundred volts. The wire harness 10 is wired in the vehicle V so that the intermediate portion in the length direction of the wire harness 10 passes outside the vehicle interior, such as under the floor of the vehicle V.

The wire harness 10 includes connectors 20 and 22, an insulated wire 30, a metal pipe 40, a grommet 50, and a corrugated tube 60.
Connectors 20 and 22 are provided at both ends of the wire harness 10. Connectors 20 and 22 constitute an interface that electrically connects insulated wire 30 and electronic equipment. The insulated wire 30 includes a conductive core wire and an insulating coating that surrounds the core wire and has insulation properties. The core wire may be, for example, a stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of metal wires together. For example, the core wire may be a single core wire made of a single conductor. For example, the insulation coating covers the entire outer peripheral surface of the core wire in the circumferential direction. The insulation coating is made of, for example, a resin material having insulation properties.

The metal pipe 40 is a hollow cylindrical pipe. The metal pipe 40 is made of aluminum. A portion of the metal pipe 40 is placed under the floor of the vehicle V. The metal pipe 40 is attached to the vehicle V after the insulated wire 30 is inserted. At this time, the metal pipe 40 is bent.

Grommet 50 connects metal pipe 40 and corrugated tube 60. The grommet 50 is a substantially cylindrical body made of rubber. The corrugated tube 60 is a tube made of resin.

"Folder configuration"
FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire harness 10, particularly near the grommet 50. The cross section shown in FIG. 2 is a cross section parallel to the axial direction of the metal pipe 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, a holder 80 is provided at the end 40a of the metal pipe 40. The holder 80 is a substantially cylindrical body made of resin. The material of the holder 80 may be, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyolefin, polyamide, polyester, or ABS resin. The holder 80 is a protection member that protects the insulated wire 30 from interference between the edge of the metal pipe 40 and the insulated wire 30. The holder 80 includes a first cylindrical portion 82 , a second cylindrical portion 84 , and a connecting portion 86 . The first cylindrical portion 82 faces the inner circumferential surface 44 of the metal pipe 40 . The second cylindrical portion 84 faces the outer peripheral surface of the metal pipe 40 . The connecting portion 86 connects the first cylindrical portion 82 and the second cylindrical portion 84 and faces the edge 46 of the metal pipe 40 .

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the holder 80. The holder 80 may be formed by injection molding, for example. In this embodiment, the holder 80 arranges the first cylindrical part 82, the second cylindrical part 84, and the connecting part 86 on the same axis, and also arranges the first cylindrical part 82, the second cylindrical part 84, and the connecting part 86 on the same axis. It is constructed by integrally forming.

Returning to FIG. 2, the second cylindrical portion 84 of the holder 80 is embedded within the grommet 50. Therefore, the second cylindrical portion 84 faces the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40 via the grommet 50. The holder 80 and the grommet 50 can be integrated, for example, in the following first step and second step. The first step is a step in which, after molding the holder 80, the holder 80 is placed in a mold for molding the grommet 50. The second step is an injection molding step in which the material for the grommet 50 is poured in a liquid state into a mold in which the holder 80 is placed.

Grommet 50 includes a pressure receiving surface 52. The pressure receiving surface 52 is tightened by a band 70. Therefore, the grommet 50 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40 with strong force by the band 70. Therefore, the grommet 50 is fixed to the metal pipe 40. Band 70 is made of resin.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the grommet 50. The grommet 50 has a first end 50a on which the pressure receiving surface 52 is formed, a second end 50b on the opposite side of the first end 50a, and a space between the first end 50a and the second end 50b. It has an intermediate portion 50c provided at. Both the first end 50a and the second end 50b are formed in a straight shape. The intermediate portion 50c is formed in a bellows shape.

Returning to FIG. 2, the second end 50b of the grommet 50 is fixed to cover the outer periphery of the end of the corrugated tube 60.
"Actions and effects of this embodiment"
The edge 46 of the metal pipe 40 is covered by the connection part 86 of the holder 80. The holder 80 includes a first cylindrical portion 82 that contacts the inner peripheral surface 44 of the metal pipe 40 . The first cylindrical part 82 is connected to the second cylindrical part 84 via a connecting part 86. A portion of the connecting portion 86 and the second cylindrical portion 84 are embedded in the grommet 50. A portion of the connecting portion 86 is embedded in the first end 50a of the grommet 50 from a direction perpendicular to the inner peripheral surface of the first end 50a. The second cylindrical portion 84 is embedded within the first end 50a of the grommet 50 with the circumferential surface of the second cylindrical portion 84 parallel to the inner circumferential surface of the first end 50a of the grommet 50.

That is, by integrating the holder 80 with the grommet 50, the holder 80 and the grommet 50 can be firmly fixed to the metal pipe 40. For example, when the insulated wire 30 is inserted into the metal pipe 40 , a force is applied to the holder 80 by the insulated wire 30 in a direction that moves the holder 80 away from the metal pipe 40 . This force is transmitted to grommet 50 via connection 86. In this respect, according to the present embodiment, since the grommet 50 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40, it exerts a reaction on the holder 80. Thereby, displacement of the holder 80 in the direction away from the metal pipe 40 is suppressed. Therefore, the holder 80 becomes difficult to come off from the end 40a of the metal pipe 40.

Further, when the metal pipe 40 is bent after the insulated wire 30 is inserted into the metal pipe 40, a force may be applied to the holder 80 in a direction that separates the holder 80 from the metal pipe 40. This force is then transmitted to the grommet 50 via the connection 86. In this respect, according to the present embodiment, since the grommet 50 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40, it exerts a reaction on the holder 80. Thereby, displacement of the holder 80 in the direction away from the metal pipe 40 is suppressed.

Here, the grommet 50 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40. Therefore, even if the portion of the holder 80 that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe 40 is made thin, the holder 80 is difficult to come off from the end of the metal pipe 40. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the portion of the holder 80 that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe 40 can be formed thin, so that the space in the metal pipe 40 that accommodates the insulated wire 30 is narrowed by the holder 80. This can be sufficiently suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to securely fix the holder 80 to the metal pipe 40 and to suppress the space for accommodating the insulated wire 30 in the metal pipe 40 from being narrowed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects and effects can be obtained.
(1) The member into which a part of the holder 80 is embedded is the grommet 50 that connects the metal pipe 40 and the corrugated tube 60. Thereby, there is no need to provide a fixing member for fixing the holder 80 only for the purpose of fixing the holder. Therefore, the configuration of the wire harness 10 can be simplified compared to the case where a fixing member is provided only for the purpose of fixing the holder 80.

(2) The grommet 50 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40 with a band 70. Thereby, the grommet 50 can be fixed to the outer peripheral surface 42 of the metal pipe 40 by tightening the band 70.

(3) The grommet 50 is made of rubber. Thereby, the pressure caused by the tightening of the band 70 can be effectively applied to the outer circumferential surface 42 of the metal pipe 40 by the grommet 50.

(4) The holder 80 is made of a material different from that of the grommet 50. Thereby, it is possible to selectively employ both a material suitable for satisfying the requirements for the holder 80 and a material suitable for satisfying the requirements for the grommet 50.

(5) The holder 80 is made of resin. Thereby, the rigidity of the holder 80 can be increased compared to the case where the holder 80 is made of rubber. Therefore, compared to the case where the holder 80 is made of rubber, it becomes easier to fit the holder 80 integrated with the grommet 50 into the metal pipe 40.

<Correspondence>
The correspondence relationship between the items in the above “Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure” and the items described in the “Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure” above is as follows. Below, the correspondence relationship is shown for each number described in the "Description of embodiments of the present disclosure" column. The [1, 4, 5] wire corresponds to the insulated wire 30. The cylindrical member corresponds to the metal pipe 40. The fixing member corresponds to the grommet 50. The holder corresponds to holder 80. [2] The second cylindrical member corresponds to the corrugated tube 60. [3] Band corresponds to band 70.

<Other embodiments>
Note that this embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.

"About the second cylindrical member"
- The second cylindrical member is not limited to the corrugated tube 60 made of synthetic resin. The second cylindrical member may be, for example, a metal corrugated tube. Further, for example, the second cylindrical member may be a synthetic resin pipe. Further, for example, the second cylindrical member may be a metal pipe. Note that when it is desired to protect the covering of the insulated wire 30, such as when the second cylindrical member is made of metal, it is desirable to provide a holder also at the end of the second cylindrical member.

"About the cylindrical member and the first cylindrical member"
- The cylindrical member is not limited to the hollow cylindrical member exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction may be a polygonal shape such as a regular octagon. Further, for example, the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member in a plane orthogonal to the axial direction may be a polygonal shape such as a regular octagon.

- The metal constituting the metal pipe 40, which is a cylindrical member, is not limited to aluminum. For example, the metal constituting the cylindrical member may be copper. Further, for example, the metal constituting the cylindrical member may be stainless steel or the like.

- It is not essential that the cylindrical member be made of metal. For example, graphite or the like may be used.
"About the holder"
- It is not essential that the holder includes the first cylindrical part 82, the second cylindrical part 84, and the connecting part 86. For example, as described in the column "About the cylindrical member", when the shape of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member in the plane orthogonal to the axial direction is a regular octagon, the following may be done. That is, instead of the first cylindrical portion 82, a member may be provided whose outer peripheral surface has a regular octagonal shape in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. The outer circumferential surface is a surface that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member. Therefore, by matching the outer circumferential surface to the shape of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member, it is possible to improve the adhesion between the holder and the cylindrical member.

- It is not essential that the holder be made of resin. For example, it may be made of rubber. If both the grommet 50 and the holder 80 are made of rubber, they may be integrally molded by injection molding or the like.

- It is not essential that the holder be a member with lower rigidity than the cylindrical member. For example, depending on the shape of the portion that can come into contact with the insulated wire 30, it may be made of metal. That is, for example, the shape may be such that the radius of curvature of the portion of the holder that can come into contact with the insulated wire 30 is larger than the radius of curvature of the end of the cylindrical member.

"About fixed parts"
- The grommet that is the fixing member is not limited to one with a holder integrated at one end. For example, as described in the column "Regarding the second cylindrical member", when the second cylindrical member is also provided with a holder, the holders may be integrated at both ends.

- It is not essential that the grommet, which is the fixing member, be made of rubber. For example, it may be made of resin. If both the grommet 50 and the holder 80 are made of resin, they may be integrally molded by injection molding or the like.

- The fixing member is not limited to a member that connects the first cylindrical member and the second cylindrical member. For example, it may be a rubber tube that covers the insulated wire 30 from the metal pipe 40 to the connector 22.

"When the holder and fixing member are made of different materials"
- It is not essential that the second cylindrical portion 84 of the holder 80 be embedded in the grommet 50, which is a fixing member. For example, the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical portion 84 may be in contact with the outer circumferential surface 42 of the metal pipe 40 .

"About the band"
- The band for fixing the fixing member to the cylindrical member is not limited to resin. For example, it may be a metal band.

"About the method of fixing a fixed member to a cylindrical member"
- It is not essential to fix the fixing member to the cylindrical member using a band. For example, the cylindrical member may be fixed to the fixing member with tape. Alternatively, for example, the cylindrical member may be fixed to the fixing member using an adhesive.

"About electric wires"
- It is not essential that the electric wire housed in the cylindrical member be the insulated electric wire 30. Even if an insulating coating is not provided, it is effective to provide a holder if interference with the edge of the cylindrical member is a problem.

"About the uses of wire harnesses"
- It is not essential that the wire harness forms an electrical path that electrically connects the high voltage battery 16 and the inverter 14. For example, an electrical path may be configured to electrically connect motor generator 12 and inverter 14. This can be realized, for example, by arranging the motor generator 12 at the front of the vehicle V, and by arranging the inverter 14 and the high voltage battery 16 at the rear of the vehicle V.

- It is not essential that the wiring harness constitutes one electrical path. For example, a Y-shaped electrical path may be configured to electrically connect a high voltage battery and two inverters.

- It is not essential that the wire harness constitutes the electrical path of the high voltage system in a vehicle equipped with a high voltage system and a low voltage system.
"About wiring harness placement"
- It is not essential that the wire harness forms a path that electrically connects the electronic equipment located at the front of the vehicle V and the electronic equipment located at the rear of the vehicle V. This can be achieved, for example, in a configuration in which the motor generator is disposed at the front of the vehicle, and the high voltage battery and the inverter are disposed at the rear of the vehicle V. That is, an electrical path that electrically connects the high voltage battery and the inverter may be configured using a wire harness.

・It is not essential that a part of the wiring harness be placed under the floor of the vehicle.
"others"
- The embodiments and modified examples disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these illustrative examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and it is intended that all changes within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims are included.

V Vehicle 10 Wire harness 12 Motor generator 14 Inverter 16 High voltage battery 20 Connector 22 Connector 30 Insulated wire 40 Metal pipe 40a End 42 Outer surface 44 Inner surface 46 Edge 50 Grommet 52 Pressure receiving surface 60 Corrugated tube 70 Band 80 Holder 82 First cylindrical part 84 Second cylindrical part 86 Connection part

Claims (5)

electric wire and
a cylindrical member that accommodates the electric wire;
a fixing member fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member;
A holder provided on the inner peripheral surface of the end of the cylindrical member and the edge of the end,
A wire harness in which the fixing member and the holder are integrated. The cylindrical member is one of a first cylindrical member and a second cylindrical member,
The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a grommet that is fixed while being placed over the end of the first cylindrical member and the end of the second cylindrical member. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a band for fixing the fixing member to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. The wire harness according to claim 3, wherein the fixing member is made of rubber. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holder is made of a material different from that of the fixing member.

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