JP7623176B2 - Protector - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a protector that protects an electric wire inserted inside and regulates the position of the electric wire along the desired wiring path.

For example, electronic devices mounted on a vehicle are electrically connected to each other via electric wires routed through the vehicle. The electric wires routed through the vehicle are protected by being inserted through a protector to prevent them from being damaged by interference with components around the wiring path, and the protector regulates their position so that they follow the desired wiring path.

Depending on the wiring path of the electric wire, such protectors can become long and complex in shape, which can reduce moldability and portability. Therefore, to prevent this reduction in moldability and portability, the protector is sometimes divided into multiple pieces along the wiring direction of the electric wire.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a protector in which a protector body having a concave cross section with a bottom surface and a pair of opposing side walls, and a cover (protector cover) that closes the opening of the protector body, are divided into multiple parts along the wiring direction of the electric wires.

Specifically, the protector body of Patent Document 1 is composed of multiple protector components (first protector part, second protector part) that extend along the wiring direction of the electric wire. Furthermore, the cover of Patent Document 1 is composed of multiple cover components (first cover part, second cover part) that are attached to each protector component.

In Patent Document 1, the protector is constructed by connecting the protector components together by engaging a locking portion provided on one protector component from above with a locking portion provided on the other protector component, and by engaging the engaging claw of the cover component with the engaging portion of the protector component. In this way, Patent Document 1 prevents deterioration in the moldability and portability of the protector by separating the protector body and cover that constitute the protector.

The protector in Patent Document 1 has guide means for guiding the connection between the protector components and a tongue portion for holding the electric wires on the inner surface of the protector component. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to ensure that the internal space of the protector component is larger than the space required to accommodate the electric wires, which makes the protector component larger and easier to heavy.

In such a case, the protector of Patent Document 1 may bend or deform at the connection points of the protector structure due to, for example, the weight of the protector, and the desired wiring state of the electric wires may not be stably maintained.

JP 2001-95126 A

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a protector that can maintain the desired wiring state of the electric wires while suppressing the increase in size of the protector structure.

The present invention relates to a protector for protecting an electric wire passing through an interior thereof, the protector body being made up of a plurality of protector components connected along a wiring direction of the electric wire, the cover being made up of a plurality of cover components attached to the protector component and closing the opening, the protector component being made up of a component body having a concave cross section constituting the bottom portion and the pair of opposing side wall portions, and a set of connection portions provided at an end of the component body in the wiring direction and to which another protector component is connected, the connection portions being provided on one end side of the component body in the wiring direction and being plate-like protruding from the end of the component body toward the outside in the opposing direction in which the pair of side wall portions oppose each other. and a fitting groove portion which is provided on the other end side of the component main body in the wiring direction, protrudes from an end of the protector component toward the outside in the opposing direction, and has a groove portion into which the flange portion provided on another protector component fits from the opening side, the component main body is provided with a fixing portion for fixing the cover component on its outer surface in the opposing direction in which the pair of side wall portions oppose each other, the cover component has a fixed portion fixed to the fixing portion, and is provided with a main body cover portion that covers the opening of the component main body in the protector component, and a connection cover portion that covers the opening of the connection portion among the connection portions that is connected to another protector component, and the cover component does not cover the opening at a location corresponding to a connection portion different from the connection portion connected to the other protector component .

The above-mentioned "concave cross section" refers to a cross section in which the bottom surface and the side wall surface are substantially perpendicular to each other, or a cross section in which the bottom surface is curved and substantially U-shaped.
The set of connecting portions refers to at least one flange portion and one fitting groove portion, or at least two flange portions or at least two fitting groove portions.

According to the present invention, the protector can maintain a desired wiring state of the electric wires while suppressing an increase in the size of the protector structure.
Specifically, the connection portion to which another protector component is connected is configured as a flange portion or a fitting groove portion protruding in the opposing direction of a pair of side wall portions, so that the contact area of the protector component with the connection portion of the other protector component is larger than when connected by locking.

Therefore, the protector assembly can stably support another protector assembly connected to the connection portion.
Furthermore, since a fixing portion for fixing the cover component is provided on the outer surface of the protector component, the connecting means for connecting the protector component and the connecting means for connecting the cover component do not protrude from the inner surface of the component body.

For this reason, the protector can prevent the internal space of the component body from becoming larger by the connection means for connecting the cover component and the connection means for connecting the protector component. In other words, the protector does not need to make the internal space of the component body larger than the space required to accommodate the electric wires.

This allows the protector to have a compact body, so that even if connecting parts protruding in opposing directions are provided, the size and weight of the protector component can be prevented from increasing. Therefore, for example, the protector can be prevented from being deformed by its own weight at the connecting parts of the protector component, such as by bending.
Therefore, the protector can maintain the desired wiring state of the electric wires while suppressing an increase in the size of the protector structure.

In one aspect of this invention, the cover structure may have a fixed portion that is fixed to the fixing portion, and may also be provided with a main body cover portion that covers the opening of the structure main body in the protector structure, and a connection cover portion that covers the opening of at least one of the connection portions to which another protector structure is connected.

With this configuration, the length of the cover component in the installation direction is not longer than the protector component, so the protector can prevent the cover component from becoming too large and ensure the same portability as the protector component.

Furthermore, since the opening of the component body is covered by the body cover portion and the opening of the connection portion is covered by the connection cover portion, the protector can completely cover the opening of the protector component connected along the wiring direction.

This allows the protector to better prevent foreign matter from entering the mating portion between the flange portion and the mating groove portion and into the inside of the protector structure. This allows the protector to reliably protect the electric wires inserted inside.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the connection portion, the opening of which is covered by the connection cover portion, may be the fitting groove portion.
According to this configuration, the opening of the fitting groove is blocked by the connection cover portion, so that the protector can reliably prevent the protector component fitted into the fitting groove from moving in the removal direction in which the flange portion is removed from the fitting groove.

This allows the protector to more stably support another protector assembly connected to the protector assembly, which can prevent the protector from being deformed, for example, by bending at the connection point of the protector assembly due to the weight of the protector assembly itself.
Therefore, the protector can more reliably maintain the desired wiring state of the electric wires.

As a further aspect of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of protector structures may be a branched protector structure provided with three or more of the connection portions.
According to this configuration, the protector can protect, for example, a branch point of an electric wire branching in a different wiring direction with the branch protector structure.

Furthermore, the protector can be configured such that, for example, multiple protector components can be connected to one protector component via a branch protector component. Therefore, the protector can be configured with a branch protector component to form a protector body suitable for electric wires that branch in different wiring directions, for example.

As another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of protector structures may be a bending protector structure in which the structure body is bent.
The above-mentioned component body being bent refers to, for example, a state in which it is curved in an arc shape, a state in which it is bent in a direction intersecting a predetermined direction, or a state in which it is bent in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

According to this configuration, the protector can protect the electric wire that is routed so as to be curved or bent with the bending protector structure.
Furthermore, the protector can connect protector assemblies arranged such that, for example, a pair of connecting parts face in different directions via a bending protector assembly. Therefore, the protector can be configured with a bending protector assembly to form a protector body suitable for an electric wire that is routed in a curved routing direction.

As another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the multiple protector structures may be a tapered protector structure in which the size of the cross-sectional shape along the opposing direction in which the pair of side wall portions face each other gradually changes along the wiring direction.

The tapered protector structure refers to a protector structure whose cross-sectional size gradually increases along the wiring direction, or a protector structure whose cross-sectional size gradually decreases along the wiring direction.
According to this configuration, the taper protector structure can connect protector structures having different sizes of cross-sectional shapes along the opposing direction via the taper protector structure.

For example, the protector body can be formed by connecting a protector component through which the wire harness is inserted and a protector component through which electric wires branching from the wire harness are inserted, using a tapered protector component.
Therefore, the protector can be configured with a tapered protector body that is suitable for the thickness of the electric wire to be inserted, for example.

In another aspect of the invention, the connection portion of the protector component that is one end of the protector body may be the fitting groove portion, and a corrugated fixing body may be provided that is inserted into the groove portion of the fitting groove portion from the opening side and fits into a recess of a corrugated tube that surrounds the electric wire.

With this configuration, the corrugated tube can be clamped between the protector component and the corrugated fixing body, so the protector can fix the electric wire surrounded by the corrugated tube to the desired position of the protector body. At this time, because the corrugated fixing body fits into the fitting groove, the protector can effectively utilize one end of the protector body, i.e., the fitting groove to which another protector component is not connected.

In addition, by closing the opening of the fitting groove into which the corrugated fixed body is fitted with the cover structure, the protector can reliably prevent the corrugated fixed body from coming loose. This allows the protector to stably maintain the desired wiring state of the electric wire.

In another aspect of the invention, the fixing portion of the protector structure to which the cover structure is fixed may have a length in the opposing direction in which the pair of side wall portions oppose each other that is shorter than the length of the connecting portion.

With this configuration, the length of the protector assembly in the opposing direction can be reduced compared to when the length of the fixing portion in the opposing direction is longer than the connection portion, so the protector can be configured with a compact protector body in the opposing direction. This prevents the protector from becoming too large in the opposing direction.

Furthermore, by configuring the protector structure so that, for example, a pair of connection parts face each other in a substantially linear wiring direction and the spacing in the wiring direction is short, when a contact object comes into contact with the protector from the opposing direction, the protector can bring the contact object into contact with the connection parts before the fixed part.
This makes it possible for the protector to prevent the fixed state between the protector component and the cover component from being released.

The present invention provides a protector that can maintain the desired wiring state of the electric wires while preventing the protector assembly from becoming too large.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the protector into which the wire harness is inserted; FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the protector with the cover separated. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the external appearance of the protector. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of a protector body and a fixing member. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the protector assembly as viewed from the front. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of the protector assembly as viewed from the rear. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the external appearance of a protector according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an outline of a branch protector structure. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a taper protector structure. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a bending protector structure. FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of a slope protector structure according to another embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of another fixing member.

One embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawings.

The protector 1 of the first embodiment accommodates and protects the wire harness WH that is routed along the front-rear direction X. Such a protector 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7.

Note that Figure 1 shows an external perspective view of the protector 1 with the wire harness WH inserted, Figure 2 shows an external perspective view of the protector 1 with the cover 4 separated, Figure 3 shows a plan view of the protector 1, and Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 3.

Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows an external perspective view of the protector body 2 and the fixing member 3, FIG. 6 shows an external perspective view of the protector assembly 20 as seen from the front, and FIG. 7 shows an external perspective view of the protector assembly 20 as seen from the rear.

1 is the upper side of the protector 1, and the lower side of FIG. 1 is the lower side of the protector 1. The arrow X in the figure indicates the front-to-rear direction of the protector 1 (hereinafter referred to as the front-to-rear direction X), and the arrow Y indicates the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction X in a plan view (hereinafter referred to as the width direction Y).
Furthermore, in the front-rear direction X, the direction from the right side to the left side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the front, and the direction from the left side to the right side in FIG.

First, the wire harness WH is made by bundling together multiple electric wires, each of which has a conductor covered with an insulating coating. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wire harness WH is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction X.

Further, the wire harness WH is inserted into a corrugated tube C extending in the front-rear direction X, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The corrugated tube C is formed in a bellows shape with alternating peaks and valleys in the front-rear direction X, as shown in Fig. 3.
Although detailed illustration is omitted, an end of the corrugated tube C is fixed to the wire harness WH by, for example, an adhesive tape.

The protector 1 through which such a wire harness WH is inserted protects the inserted wire harness WH and also regulates the position of the wire harness WH so that it is routed along the desired routing path.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this protector 1 has an opening at the top and is equipped with a protector main body 2 having a concave cross-sectional shape extending in the wiring direction of the wire harness WH (front-to-back direction X), and a fixing member 3 that fixes the wire harness WH to the protector main body 2.
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the protector 1 is provided with a cover 4 that is attached to the protector body 2 from above and closes the upper opening of the protector body 2 .

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the protector body 2 of the protector 1 is formed with a cross-sectional concave shape having a bottom surface portion 2a that forms the bottom of the protector 1, and a pair of side wall portions 2b that are erected from both ends of the bottom surface portion 2a in the width direction Y and face each other in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 5, the protector body 2 is composed of multiple protector components 20 arranged side by side along the wiring direction (front-rear direction X) of the wire harness WH. The protector body 2 is composed of adjacent protector components 20 connected to each other.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the protector component 20 is composed of a component body 21 with a cross-sectional concave shape that extends in the wiring direction of the wire harness WH (front-rear direction X), and a pair of connection parts 22 provided at the front and rear of the component body 21.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the component body 21 is formed with a cross-sectional concave shape by a body bottom portion 21a that forms the bottom surface portion 2a of the protector body 2 and a pair of body side portions 21b that form the side wall portions 2b of the protector body 2.

Of these, the main body bottom 21a is a flat plate having a thickness in the vertical direction, and is formed with a length in the width direction Y that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the corrugated tube C. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the vicinity of the front end of this main body bottom 21a is formed to protrude outward in the width direction Y beyond the main body side portion 21b, and function as the bottom of the connection portion 22 (the fitting groove portion 24 described later).

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the pair of main body side parts 21b are formed as flat plates with a vertical length that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the corrugated tube C, and are erected upward from both ends of the main body bottom part 21a in the width direction Y.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, this body side portion 21b has approximately the same length in the front-to-rear direction X as the body bottom portion 21a, and is offset rearward from the body bottom portion 21a so that its front end is located rearward from the front end of the body bottom portion 21a and its rear end is located rearward from the rear end of the body bottom portion 21a.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the main body side portion 21b has a pair of locking holes 21c, to which the cover 4 is locked, provided on the main surface (outer surface) opposite to the main surface (inner surface) facing the other main body side portion 21b.
As shown in Figures 4 and 6, this engagement hole portion 21c has a generally rectangular box shape in a plan view that protrudes in the width direction Y from the outer surface of the main body side portion 21b, and is formed in a shape having an opening that penetrates in the vertical direction.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the pair of connection parts 22 is a portion where adjacent protector components 20 in the front-rear direction X are connected. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the pair of connection parts 22 is composed of a pair of flange parts 23 provided at the rear of the protector components 20 and a pair of fitting groove parts 24 provided at the front of the protector components 20.

Here, the width direction Y from one body side portion 21b to the other body side portion 21b is defined as the inner side of the width direction Y, and the width direction Y in the opposite direction to the inner side is defined as the outer side of the width direction Y. The flange portion 23 and the fitting groove portion 24 will be described in further detail.

The flange portion 23 is formed in a flat plate shape protruding from the rear end of the main body side portion 21b outward in the width direction Y. The flange portion 23 is a flat plate shape having a thickness in the front-rear direction X, and is formed on the main body side portion 21b with approximately the same length in the up-down direction.
As shown in FIG. 3, the flange portion 23 protrudes from the main body side portion 21b with a length in the width direction Y that is longer than the locking hole portion 21c and shorter than the fitting groove portion 24.

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the fitting groove portion 24 protrudes outward in the width direction Y from the front end of the main body side portion 21b so that the front portion of the main body bottom portion 21a protruding in the width direction Y becomes the bottom portion.
As shown in FIG. 4, the fitting groove 24 is protruded with a length in the width direction Y that is longer than the length of the locking hole 21c.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, this fitting groove portion 24 is formed with a groove portion 24a, which is a fitting groove into which the flange portion 23 of the protector component 20 adjacent to and connected in the front-rear direction X fits from above.
As shown in Figures 6 and 7, this groove portion 24a is recessed outward in the width direction Y on the inner surface of the fitting groove portion 24 that faces each other in the width direction Y, and is formed in a recessed groove shape extending in the vertical direction.

The groove portion 24a is generally rectangular in plan view, with a length in the front-rear direction X that is the same as the thickness of the flange portion 23, and a length in the width direction Y that is the same as the flange portion 23, and is formed with a length in the up-down direction that is generally the same as that of the main body side portion 21b.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the fixing member 3 of the protector 1 is attached by fitting into the fitting groove portion 24 on the front side of the protector component 20, which is the end of the protector body 2 in the front-rear direction X and to which another protector component 20 is not connected.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the fixing member 3 fits into the fitting groove portion 24 of the protector component 20 so that the valley portion of the corrugated tube C, through which the wire harness WH is inserted, is clamped between the fixing member 3 and the main body bottom portion 21a of the protector component 20.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the fixing member 3 is formed in a plate shape having a thickness that allows it to be fitted into the fitting groove portion 24 of the protector assembly 20 .
Furthermore, the fixing member 3 is formed in a shape having a notch 3a cut out upward from the lower end at approximately the center in the width direction Y as a portion into which the valley portion of the corrugated tube C fits in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cutout portion 3a is cut out in an inverted U-shape when viewed from the front, with a semicircular portion at the top that protrudes upward with a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the valley portion of the corrugated tube C.

1 to 3, the cover 4 of the protector 1 is composed of a plurality of cover constituent bodies 40 divided into the same number as the protector constituent bodies 20. The plurality of cover constituent bodies 40 are attached to the protector constituent body 20, respectively, and are formed so as to close the upper opening of the protector constituent body 20.
The cover component 40 is formed in a flat plate shape having a length in the front-rear direction X from the front end of the fitting groove portion 24 to the rear end of the component main body 21 .

In more detail, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cover component 40 is integrally formed with a main body cover portion 41 that covers the opening of the component main body 21 in the protector component 20, and a connection cover portion 42 that covers the opening of the fitting groove portion 24 in the protector component 20.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the main body cover portion 41 is a flat plate that is elongated in the front-rear direction X and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The lower surface of the main body cover portion 41 is formed so as to be able to abut against the upper end surface of the component main body 21 .
Specifically, the main body cover portion 41 is formed as a flat plate having substantially the same length in the front-rear direction X and the width direction Y as the component main body 21, as shown in FIG.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the main body cover portion 41 has a pair of locking claw portions 41a formed in the locking hole portion 21c of the protector structure 20, which are formed downward from both ends in the width direction Y.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connection cover portion 42 is a flat plate that is elongated in the width direction Y and has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, and its lower surface is formed so as to be able to abut against the upper end surface of the fitting groove portion 24.
Specifically, the connection cover portion 42 is formed as a flat plate having a length in the front-rear direction X and a length in the width direction Y that are approximately the same as those of the fitting groove portion 24 , and is integrally formed with the front end of the main body cover portion 41 .

Next, an assembly process for assembling the protector assembly 20, the fixing member 3, and the cover assembly 40 to construct the protector 1 will be briefly described.
First, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, an operator or an assembly device fits the flange portion 23 of the protector component 20 arranged adjacent to the protector component 20 in the front-rear direction X from above downward into the fitting groove portion 24 of the protector component 20.

At this time, the worker or the assembly device fits the flange portion 23 of the protector component 20 that is arranged adjacent to the protector component 20 in the front-rear direction X until it abuts against the bottom of the fitting groove portion 24 (the main body bottom portion 21a of the component main body 21).

Similarly, the worker or assembly device fits the flange portion 23 into the fitting groove portion 24 of the protector components 20 adjacent in the fore-and-aft direction X, connecting the multiple protector components 20 along the fore-and-aft direction X to form a protector body 2 having the desired length in the fore-and-aft direction X.

When the protector body 2 is assembled, the worker or the assembly device places the corrugated tube C, through which the wire harness WH has been inserted, inside the protector body 2 through the opening of the protector body 2 facing the bottom surface portion 2a, as shown in FIG. 2.

At this time, the worker or the assembly device positions the protector component 20, which is the end of the protector body 2, so that the valley portion of the corrugated tube C coincides with the groove portion 24a of the fitting groove portion 24 on the front side, which is not connected to another protector component 20, in the front-to-rear direction X.

Then, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, the worker or the assembly device fits the fixing member 3 into the fitting groove 24 of the protector component 20, which is the end of the protector main body 2. At this time, the worker or the assembly device fits the fixing member 3 into the fitting groove 24 so that the valley portion of the corrugated tube C is sandwiched between the main body bottom 21a of the protector component 20 and the notch 3a of the fixing member 3.

When the fitting of the fixing member 3 is completed, the worker or the assembly device assembles the cover component 40 from above onto the protector component 20 so that the main body cover portion 41 abuts against the upper end surface of the component main body 21 and the connection cover portion 42 abuts against the upper end surface of the fitting groove portion 24.

At this time, the worker or the assembly device engages the locking claw portion 41a of the cover component 40 with the locking hole portion 21c of the protector component 20, and attaches the cover component 40 to the protector component 20.

Then, the worker or the assembly device assembles the cover components 40 to all of the protector components 20 to form the cover 4, thereby forming the protector 1 that closes the opening of the protector main body 2 and protects the inserted wire harness WH.
In this manner, in the protector 1 of the first embodiment, the protector components 20 that are adjacently connected in the front-rear direction X are supported by each other through the flange portions 23 and the fitting groove portions 24 that are in surface contact with each other.

As described above, the protector 1 of this embodiment 1 is provided with a protector body 2 having a concave cross section with a bottom surface portion 2a and a pair of opposing side wall portions 2b, and a cover 4 that covers an opening of the protector body 2 that faces the bottom surface portion 2a, and protects the wire harness WH that passes through the inside.

The protector body 2 of this protector 1 is composed of a plurality of protector components 20 connected along the front-rear direction X.
On the other hand, the cover 4 of the protector 1 is composed of a plurality of cover components 40 which are attached to the protector component 20 to close the opening.

The protector component 20 further comprises a component body 21 having a concave cross section that constitutes the bottom surface portion 2a and a pair of opposing side wall portions 2b, and a pair of connection portions 22 that are provided at the end of the component body 21 in the front-rear direction X and to which another protector component 20 is connected.

This set of connection parts 22 is a plate-shaped flange part 23 that protrudes from the rear end of the component body 21 toward the outer side in the width direction Y, and a fitting groove part 24 that protrudes from the front end of the protector component 20 toward the outer side in the width direction Y and has a groove part 24a into which the flange part 23 fits from above.

The component body 21 has an engaging hole 21c on its outer surface in the width direction Y for fixing the cover component 40 thereto.
According to this, the protector 1 can maintain a desired routing state of the wire harness WH while suppressing an increase in size of the protector structure 20.

Specifically, the connection portion 22 to which another protector component 20 is connected is configured with a flange portion 23 or a fitting groove portion 24 that protrudes outward in the width direction Y, so that the contact area between the protector component 20 and the connection portion 22 of the other protector component 20 is larger than when the connection is made by locking.

Therefore, the protector assembly 20 can stably support another protector assembly 20 connected to the connection portion 22 .
Furthermore, since a locking hole portion 21c for fixing the cover component 40 is provided on the outer surface of the protector component 20, the connecting means for connecting the protector component 20 and the connecting means for connecting the cover component 40 do not protrude from the inner surface of the component main body 21 of the protector 1.

For this reason, the protector 1 prevents the internal space of the component body 21 from becoming larger by the connection means for connecting the cover component 40 and the connection means for connecting the protector component 20. In other words, the protector 1 does not need to make the internal space of the component body 21 larger than the space required to accommodate the wire harness WH.

As a result, the protector 1 can have a compact component body 21, and therefore, even if the connecting portion 22 protruding in the width direction Y is provided, the size and weight of the protector component 20 can be prevented from increasing. Therefore, for example, the protector 1 can be prevented from being deformed by bending at the connecting portion of the protector component 20 due to the weight of the protector component 20 itself.
Therefore, the protector 1 can maintain the desired wiring state of the wire harness WH while suppressing an increase in size of the protector structure 20.

The cover component 40 also has a locking claw portion 41a that is fixed to the locking hole portion 21c, and is provided with a main body cover portion 41 that covers the opening of the component main body 21 in the protector component 20, and a connection cover portion 42 that covers the opening of at least one of the connection portions 22 to which another protector component 20 is connected.

With this configuration, the length of the cover component 40 in the forward/rearward direction X is not longer than the protector component 20, so the protector 1 can prevent the cover component 40 from becoming too large and ensure portability equivalent to that of the protector component 20.

Furthermore, since the opening of the component body 21 is covered by the body cover part 41 and the opening of the connection part 22 is covered by the connection cover part 42, the protector 1 can completely cover the opening of the protector component 20 connected along the front-rear direction X.

This allows the protector 1 to better prevent foreign matter from entering the mating portion between the flange portion 23 and the mating groove portion 24 and the inside of the protector structure 20. Therefore, the protector 1 can reliably protect the wire harness WH inserted inside.

In addition, since the connection portion 22, the opening of which is blocked by the connection cover portion 42, is the fitting groove portion 24, the protector 1 can reliably prevent the protector component 20 fitted into the fitting groove portion 24 from moving upward, where the flange portion 23 would be disengaged from the fitting groove portion 24.

This allows the protector 1 to more stably support another protector assembly 20 connected to the protector assembly 20. For this reason, for example, deformation of the protector 1 such as bending at the connection point of the protector assembly 20 due to the weight of the protector assembly 20 itself can be suppressed.
Therefore, the protector 1 can more reliably maintain the desired routing state of the wire harness WH.

The protector 1 is inserted from above into the groove portion 24a of the fitting groove portion 24 of the protector structure 20, which is one end of the protector body 2, and is provided with a fixing member 3 that fits into the valley portion of the corrugated tube C that surrounds the wire harness WH.

With this configuration, the corrugated tube C can be clamped between the protector component 20 and the fixing member 3, so the protector 1 can fix the wire harness WH surrounded by the corrugated tube C to the desired position of the protector body 2. At this time, because the fixing member 3 fits into the fitting groove portion 24, the protector 1 can effectively utilize one end of the protector body 2, i.e., the fitting groove portion 24 to which another protector component 20 is not connected.

In addition, by closing the opening of the fitting groove portion 24 into which the fixing member 3 is fitted with the cover structure 40, the protector 1 can reliably prevent the fixing member 3 from coming loose. Therefore, the protector 1 can stably maintain the desired wiring state of the wire harness WH.

Further, the length of the locking hole portion 21 c of the protector component 20 to which the cover component 40 is fixed in the width direction Y is shorter than that of the connecting portion 22 .
According to this configuration, the length of the protector assembly 20 in the width direction Y can be reduced compared to a case in which the length of the locking hole portion 21c in the width direction Y is longer than the connection portion 22, so that the protector 1 can configure a protector main body 2 that is compact in the width direction Y. Therefore, the protector 1 can be prevented from becoming large in size in the width direction Y.

Furthermore, for example, by shortening the distance in the front-to-rear direction X between the flange portion 23 and the fitting groove portion 24, when a contact object comes into contact with the protector 1 from the width direction Y, the contact object can contact the flange portion 23 or the fitting groove portion 24 before the locking claw portion 41a of the cover structure 40.
This makes it possible to prevent the locking claw portion 41a of the cover component 40 from being pressed by a contacting object, thereby preventing the locking state between the protector component 20 and the cover component 40 from being released.

Next, the protector 100 that protects the wire harness WH in which the electric wires are routed in different directions from a predetermined branch point will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11.

Note that FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the protector 100 in Example 2, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram outlining the branch protector structure, with FIG. 9(a) showing an external perspective view of the three-branch protector structure 140 and FIG. 9(b) showing an external perspective view of the two-branch protector structure 150.

Furthermore, Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram outlining the taper protector structure, where Figure 10(a) shows an external perspective view of the first taper protector structure 160, and Figure 10(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the first taper protector structure 160 in a longitudinal section along the width direction Y.

In addition, FIG. 11 shows an explanatory diagram for explaining the outline of the bend protector structure.
In FIG. 8, in order to clearly show the protector 100, the cover is omitted and the wire harness WH is shown by a two-dot chain line.

As shown in FIG. 8, the protector 100 of the second embodiment is configured by connecting a plurality of protector components having different shapes according to the wiring direction of the electric wires that constitute the wire harness WH.
Here, as shown in FIG. 8 , the wire harness WH of the second embodiment is composed of a first electric wire E1, a second electric wire E2, a third electric wire E3, and a fourth electric wire E4, and is arranged from the front to the rear in the fore-and-aft direction X.

Of these, the first electric wire E1 is arranged so as to branch off toward one side in the width direction Y (upper side in the drawing) at a predetermined branch point, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, the second electric wire E2 is routed so as to branch off toward the other side in the width direction Y (the lower side in the figure) at a predetermined branch point, and then routed forward.

As shown in FIG. 8, the third electric wire E3 is routed so as to branch off toward the other side in the width direction Y (the lower side in the figure) at a predetermined branch point, and then routed toward the rear.
As shown in FIG. 8, the fourth electric wire E4 is routed further rearward from a predetermined branch point, and then curved toward the other side in the width direction Y.

The protector body (reference numeral omitted) of the protector 100 into which such a wire harness WH is inserted is composed of a combination of a straight protector component extending in a predetermined direction, a branched protector component having three or more connection parts, a tapered protector component having a generally trapezoidal shape in a plan view, and a bent protector component in which the component body is bent, as shown in FIG. 8.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the straight-shaped protector component 100 includes a first protector component 110 that is disposed on the front side in the front-rear direction X and through which the wire harness WH is inserted, and a second protector component 120 through which the first electric wire E1 that branches out to one side in the width direction Y is inserted.

Furthermore, as a straight-shaped protector component, the protector 100 includes a third protector component 130 through which the second electric wire E2 and the third electric wire E3 branched to the other side in the width direction Y are inserted, as shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, the protector 100 is provided with a three-branch protector component 140 as a branch protector component, which is connected to the first protector component 110 and through which a portion of the wire harness WH that is to become a predetermined branch point is inserted.

Furthermore, as a branched protector structure, the protector 100 includes a two-branched protector structure 150 through which the second electric wire E2 and the third electric wire E3, which branch out toward the front side and the rear side, respectively, are inserted, as shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, the protector 100 includes a first taper protector component 160 as a taper protector component, which is connected to one side of the three-branch protector component 140 in the width direction Y and through which the first electric wire E1 branched to one side in the width direction Y is inserted.

Furthermore, as a taper protector structure, the protector 100 includes a second taper protector structure 170, which is connected to the rear side of the three-branch protector structure 140 and through which the fourth electric wire E4 branched to the rear side is inserted, as shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 8, the protector 100 includes a first curved protector component 180 and a second curved protector component 190 as bending protector components, which are connected to the second tapered protector component 170 and through which the fourth electric wire E4, which is routed toward the rear, is inserted.

Furthermore, as a bending protector component, the protector 100 includes a bending protector component 200, which is connected to the second curved protector component 190 and through which a fourth electric wire E4 is inserted and routed toward the other side in the width direction Y, as shown in FIG. 8.

In more detail, first, the first protector component 110, the second protector component 120, and the third protector component 130 are formed in a shape in which the component body has a concave cross-sectional shape extending in a predetermined direction, similar to the protector component 20 of Example 1.

The first protector component 110 and the third protector component 130 are formed so that the cross-sectional concave shapes of the component bodies have substantially the same size.
On the other hand, the second protector structure 120 is formed such that the cross-sectional concave shape of the structure body is smaller than that of the first protector structure 110 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the three-branch protector component 140 is a protector component that is generally rectangular in plan view and is connected to the fitting groove portion 111 of the first protector component 110, and is formed to be capable of accommodating a wire harness WH that branches from the front-rear direction X to the width direction Y and rearward.

As shown in FIG. 9A, this three-way branch protector assembly 140 is composed of an assembly body 141 and a set of connection parts (reference numerals omitted).
Furthermore, as a set of connecting parts, the three-branch protector structure 140 has a flange portion 142 and a fitting groove portion 143 arranged opposite each other in the front-rear direction X, and a flange portion 144 and a fitting groove portion 145 arranged opposite each other in the width direction Y, as shown in Figure 9 (a).

Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9(a), the component body 141 is composed of a body bottom 141a that is generally cross-shaped when viewed from above, a pair of first body side parts 141b that stand upright from the body bottom 141a and face each other in the width direction Y, and a pair of second body side parts 141c that stand upright from the body bottom 141a and face each other in the front-rear direction X.

Of these, the first main body side portion 141b is formed in a shape having an opening through which the wire harness WH is inserted, approximately at the center in the front-rear direction X. Similarly, the second main body side portion 141c is formed in a shape having an opening through which the wire harness WH is inserted, approximately at the center in the width direction Y.
As shown in FIG. 9A, a pair of second main body side portions 141c opposed to each other in the front-rear direction X are formed with locking holes 141d to which a cover component (not shown) is locked.

The flange portion 142 and the fitting groove portion 143 are arranged opposite each other in the fore-and-aft direction X, with the flange portion 142 protruding from the front end of the first main body side portion 141b and the fitting groove portion 143 protruding from the rear end of the first main body side portion 141b, as shown in Figure 9 (a).
The first protector structure 110 is connected to the flange portion 142 .

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the flange portion 144 and the fitting groove portion 145 are arranged opposite each other in the width direction Y, with the flange portion 144 protruding from an end portion of the second main body side portion 141c on one side in the width direction Y, and the fitting groove portion 145 protruding from an end portion of the second main body side portion 141c on the other side in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 8, the two-branch protector structure 150 is a protector structure that is generally T-shaped in plan view and is connected to the fitting groove portion 145 of the three-branch protector structure 140 via the third protector structure 130, and is formed to be able to accommodate the second electric wire E2 and the third electric wire E3 that are routed forward and backward from the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 9B, this two-branch protector assembly 150 is composed of an assembly body 151 and a pair of connecting parts (reference numerals omitted).
Furthermore, as a set of connecting parts, the two-branch protector component 150 has a flange portion 152 connected to the third protector component 130, and a flange portion 153 and an engagement groove portion 154 arranged opposite each other in the fore-and-aft direction X, as shown in FIG. 9(b).

Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 9(b), the component body 151 has a body bottom 151a that is generally T-shaped in plan view, and a pair of first body side parts 151b that stand upright from the body bottom 151a and face each other in the width direction Y.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9 (b), the component body 151 has a pair of second body side portions 151c that are erected from the body bottom portion 151a and opposed to each other in the front-to-rear direction X so as to extend from an opening edge that is approximately in the center in the front-to-rear direction X and provided in the first body side portion 151b on one side in the width direction Y toward one side in the width direction Y.
As shown in FIG. 9B, a pair of first body side portions 151b opposed to each other in the width direction Y are formed with locking holes 151d to which a cover structure (not shown) is locked.

The flange portion 152 connected to the third protector component 130 is provided so as to protrude from an end portion of the second main body side portion 151c on one side in the width direction Y, as shown in FIG. 9(b).
The flange portion 153 and the fitting groove portion 154 are arranged opposite each other in the fore-and-aft direction X, with the flange portion 153 protruding from the front end of the first main body side portion 151b and the fitting groove portion 154 protruding from the rear end of the first main body side portion 151b, as shown in Figure 9 (b).

As shown in FIG. 8, the first taper protector component 160 is a protector component that is generally trapezoidal in plan view and is connected to the flange portion 144 of the three-branch protector component 140 provided on one side in the width direction Y, and is formed to accommodate the first electric wire E1 that is routed toward one side in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), this first taper protector component 160 is composed of a component body 161 and a set of connecting parts (reference numerals omitted), and is formed so that protector components having component bodies with cross-sectional concave shapes of different sizes can be connected to each other.

Furthermore, as a pair of connecting parts, the first taper protector component 160 has a flange part 162 and a fitting groove part 163 arranged opposite each other in the width direction Y, as shown in FIG. 10(a).

Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 10(a), the component body 161 is composed of a body bottom 161a that is generally trapezoidal in plan view, with one side in the width direction Y being the short side, and a pair of body side parts 161b that are erected from the body bottom 161a and face each other in the front-rear direction X.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10(b), in a longitudinal cross section along the width direction Y, the lower ends of the body bottom 161a and the pair of body side portions 161b of the component body 161 are formed so that the lower surface slopes upward from the other side in the width direction Y to the one side in the width direction Y.

In other words, the component body 161 has a cross-sectional shape in a longitudinal section along the front-rear direction X that is gradually reduced in size from the other side in the width direction Y to one side in the width direction Y.
As shown in FIG. 10A, the pair of main body side portions 161b are formed with locking holes 161c to which a cover component (not shown) is locked.

On the other hand, the flange portion 162 and the fitting groove portion 163, which are arranged opposite each other in the front-rear direction X, have the flange portion 162 protruding from an end portion of the main body side portion 161b on one side in the width direction Y, and the fitting groove portion 163 protruding from an end portion of the main body side portion 161b on the other side in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second taper protector component 170 is a protector component that is generally trapezoidal in plan view and is connected to the fitting groove portion 143 of the three-branch protector component 140 provided at the rear, and is formed to be able to accommodate the fourth electric wire E4 that is routed toward the rear.

As shown in FIG. 8, like the first taper protector component 160, the second taper protector component 170 is composed of a component body 171 and a set of connecting parts (reference numerals omitted), and is formed so that protector components having component bodies with cross-sectional concave shapes of different sizes can be connected to each other.

Furthermore, as a pair of connecting parts, the second taper protector component 170 has a flange portion 172 protruding from the front end of the component body 171 and a fitting groove portion 173 protruding from the rear end of the component body 171, as shown in FIG. 8.

The second taper protector component 170 has a substantially identical configuration to the component body 161 of the first taper protector component 160, except that the cross-sectional concave shape of the component body 171 is larger, so a detailed description of it will be omitted.

The first curved protector component 180 is a protector component connected to the fitting groove portion 173 of the second tapered protector component 170 as shown in FIG. 8, and is formed to be capable of accommodating the fourth electric wire E4 that is routed toward the rear and the other side in the width direction Y.

As shown in Figures 8 and 11, the first curved protector component 180 is formed into a curved shape in a plan view by a component body 181 that extends from the front to the rear and then curves rearward toward the other side in the width direction Y, and a set of connecting parts (reference numbers omitted).

Furthermore, as a pair of connecting parts, the first curved protector component 180 has a flange portion 182 protruding from the front end of the component body 181 and a fitting groove portion 183 protruding from the rear end of the component body 181, as shown in FIG. 11.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the component body 181 is composed of a body bottom 181a that extends from the front to the rear and then curves rearward toward the other side in the width direction Y, and a pair of body side portions 181b that stand upward from the edge of the body bottom 181a.
11, a locking hole 181c is formed in the main body side portion 181b of the main body 181, into which a cover component (not shown) is locked.

The second curved protector component 190 is a protector component connected to the fitting groove portion 183 of the first curved protector component 180 as shown in FIG. 8, and is formed to be capable of accommodating the fourth electric wire E4 that is routed toward the rear.

As shown in Figures 8 and 11, the second curved protector component 190 extends rearward and toward the other side in the width direction Y, and is then curved rearward, and is formed into a curved shape in a plan view by a component body 191 and a pair of connecting parts (reference numbers omitted).

Furthermore, as a pair of connecting parts, the second curved protector component 190 has a flange portion 192 protruding from the front end of the component body 191 and a fitting groove portion 193 protruding from the rear end of the component body 191, as shown in FIG. 11.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the component body 191 is composed of a body bottom 191a that extends rearward and toward the other side in the width direction Y and then curves rearward, and a pair of body side portions 191b that stand upward from the edge of the body bottom 191a.
11, a locking hole 191c is formed in the main body side portion 191b of the main body 191, into which a cover component (not shown) is locked.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bend protector component 200 is a protector component that is generally L-shaped in plan view and is connected to the fitting groove portion 193 of the second bend protector component 190, and is formed to be capable of accommodating the fourth electric wire E4 that is routed from the front-rear direction X toward the other side in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 8, this bend protector component 200 is composed of a component body 201 that is generally L-shaped when viewed from above, and a set of connection parts (reference numerals omitted) provided on the component body 201.
Furthermore, as a set of connecting parts, the bend protector component 200 has a flange portion 202 protruding from the front end of the component main body 201, and a mating groove portion 203 protruding from the rear end of the component main body 201, as shown in Figure 8.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the component body 201 is composed of a body bottom portion 201a which extends from the front to the rear in a plan view and then bends at approximately a right angle toward the other side in the width direction Y, and a pair of body side portions 201b which stand upward from the edge of the body bottom portion 201a.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, a locking hole 201c is formed in the main body side portion 201b of the main body 201, into which a cover component (not shown) is locked.

In this way, the protector 100 of Example 2 is constructed by assembling a straight-shaped protector component, a branched protector component, a tapered protector component, and a bent protector component to form a protector body that follows the wiring path of the wire harness WH.

The protector 100 of the second embodiment configured as above has each protector component including a flange portion and a fitting groove portion, and therefore can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above.
Furthermore, in the protector 100 of the second embodiment, at least one of the multiple protector assemblies is a branched protector assembly (three-branched protector assembly 140, two-branched protector assembly 150) having three or more connection parts.

With this configuration, the protector 100 can protect, for example, the branching points of the wire harness WH that branch in different wiring directions with the branch protector structure.

Furthermore, the protector 100 can connect multiple protector components (third protector component 130, first taper protector component 160, second taper protector component 170) to the first protector component 110 via branch protector components. Therefore, the protector 100 can form a protector body suitable for a wire harness WH that branches in different wiring directions, for example, with the branch protector components.

At least one of the multiple protector constituents is a bending protector constituent (first curved protector constituent 180, second curved protector constituent 190, bending protector constituent 200) in which the constituent body is bent.
According to this configuration, the protector 100 can protect the wire harness WH, which is routed so as to be curved or bent, with the bending protector structure.

Furthermore, the protector 100 can connect protector components arranged such that, for example, a pair of connection parts face in different directions via a bending protector component. Therefore, the protector 100 can form a protector body suitable for a wire harness WH that is arranged in a curved arrangement direction, for example, with a bending protector component.

At least one of the multiple protector structures is a tapered protector structure (first tapered protector structure 160, second tapered protector structure 170) in which the size of the cross-sectional shape along the opposing direction in which a pair of main body sides face each other gradually changes along the wiring direction of the wire harness WH.

With this configuration, the taper protector structure can connect protector structures having different cross-sectional shapes along the opposing direction via the taper protector structure.

For example, the protector 100 can be configured by connecting a three-branch protector component 140 through which the wire harness WH is inserted and a second protector component 120 through which a first electric wire E1 branched from the wire harness WH is inserted, using a tapered protector component to form the protector body.
Therefore, the protector 100 can be configured with a tapered protector body that is suitable for the thickness of the electric wire to be inserted, for example.

In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment,
The electric wire of the present invention corresponds to the wire harness WH of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The protector constructs correspond to a protector construct 20, a first protector construct 110, a second protector construct 120, a third protector construct 130, a three-branched protector construct 140, a two-branched protector construct 150, a first taper protector construct 160, a second taper protector construct 170, a first curved protector construct 180, a second curved protector construct 190, and a bend protector construct 200;
The fixing portions correspond to the locking holes 21c, 141d, 151d, 161c, 181c, 191c, and 201c.
The fixed portion corresponds to the locking claw portion 41a.
The branch protector structures correspond to a three-branch protector structure 140 and a two-branch protector structure 150;
The bend protector structures correspond to a first bend protector structure 180, a second bend protector structure 190, and a bend protector structure 200;
The taper protector structure corresponds to a first taper protector structure 160 and a second taper protector structure 170;
The corrugated fixed body corresponds to the fixing member 3,
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

For example, in the above embodiment, the protector 1 has a flat bottom surface 2a and a concave cross section, but this is not limited to this, and the protector may have a curved bottom surface and a generally U-shaped concave cross section.

The protector body 2 is formed by connecting together protector components 20 in which a set of connection parts 22 is a flange portion 23 and a fitting groove portion 24, but this is not limited to this. For example, the protector body may be formed by connecting a protector component in which a set of connection parts are all flange portions to a protector component in which a set of connection parts are all fitting groove portions.

In addition, the locking claw portion 41a provided on the cover component 40 is configured to lock into the locking hole portion 21c provided on the protector component 20, but this is not limited to this, and the locking claw portion provided on the protector component may be configured to lock into the locking hole portion provided on the cover component.

In addition, the cover component 40 abuts against the component body 21 and the fitting groove 24 of the protector component 20 to close the opening of the component body 21 and the opening of the fitting groove 24, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cover component may be composed of a main body cover portion that abuts against the component body of the protector component to close the opening of the component body, and a connection cover portion that abuts against the flange portion of the protector component to close the opening of the flange portion. In this case, the connection cover portion of the cover component is formed to be approximately the same size as the fitting groove portion of the protector component to be connected, rather than the flange portion.

In addition, in Example 2, one of the branch protector components is a three-branch protector component 140, but this is not limited to this, and it may be a four-branch protector component or a five-branch protector component composed of a component body having a polygonal shape when viewed in a plane.
In addition, in Example 2, one of the branch protector structures is a two-branch protector structure 150 that is approximately T-shaped when viewed from above, but this is not limited to this and may be, for example, a two-branch protector structure that is approximately Y-shaped when viewed from above.

In addition, the protector structure has a flat body bottom, but this is not limited thereto, and at least one of the multiple protector structures may be a slope protector structure 210 in which the structure body is inclined.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, which shows an external perspective view of the slope protector component 210 in another embodiment, the component body 211 of the slope protector component 210 may be inclined so that the rear end is positioned above the front end.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the component body 211 may be formed rearward and upward from the fitting groove 212 toward the flange 213 without changing the size of the cross-sectional concave shape in a longitudinal section along the width direction Y. Alternatively, the size of the cross-sectional concave shape of the component body 211 in a longitudinal section along the width direction Y may change as it moves rearward and upward from the fitting groove 212.

In this case, the cover component 220 attached to the slope protector component 210 is formed so that the main body cover portion 221 has an inclined shape that can abut against the component main body 211 of the slope protector component 210, as shown in FIG. 12.

In addition, the fixing member 3 that fits into the valley portion of the corrugated tube C is provided separately from the protector body 2 and the cover 4, but this is not limited thereto, and the fixing member may be integrally formed with the cover component 40 that is attached to the protector component 20 that forms the end of the protector body 2.

In addition, the fixing member 3 has an inverted U-shaped cutout 3a when viewed from the front, but is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 13(a), which shows an explanatory diagram for explaining an outline of another fixing member 3, the fixing member 3 may have a circular through hole 3b when viewed from the front. In this case, the fixing member 3 is composed of a first divided portion 31 and a second divided portion 32, which are divided along a virtual straight line that extends in the up-down direction through approximately the center in the width direction Y, as shown in FIG. 13(b).

When the wire harness WH is housed in the protector body 2, the worker or assembly device abuts the first divided portion 31 and the second divided portion 32 in the width direction Y so as to fit into the valley portion of the corrugated tube C, as shown in FIG. 13(b), to form the fixing member 3. After that, the worker or assembly device fits the fixing member 3 attached to the corrugated tube C into the fitting groove portion 24 of the protector component 20, and houses the wire harness WH in the protector body 2.

1,100... protector 2... protector main body 2a... bottom surface portion 2b... side wall portion 3... fixing member 4... cover 20... protector component 21, 141, 151, 161, 171, 181, 191, 201, 211... component main body 21c, 141d, 151d, 161c, 181c, 191c, 201c... locking hole portion 22... connection portion 23, 142, 144, 152, 153, 162, 182, 192, 172, 202, 213... flange portion 24, 111, 143, 145, 154, 163, 173, 183, 203, 212... fitting groove portion 24a... groove portion 4 0...Cover structure 41...Main body cover portion 41a...Latching claw portion 42...Connection cover portion 110...First protector structure 120...Second protector structure 130...Third protector structure 140...Tri-branch protector structure 150...Two-branch protector structure 160...First taper protector structure 170...Second taper protector structure 180...First curved protector structure 190...Second curved protector structure 200...Bending protector structure 210...Slope protector structure C...Corrugated tube WH...Wire harness X...Front-rear direction Y...Wire direction

Claims (6)

A protector for protecting an electric wire passing through an inside of the protector body, the protector body having a concave cross section and a bottom surface and a pair of opposing side walls, and a cover for closing an opening of the protector body opposing the bottom surface,
The protector body includes:
The protector assembly is made up of a plurality of protector structures connected along the wiring direction of the electric wire,
The cover is
a plurality of cover structures attached to the protector structure to close the opening,
The protector structure includes:
a cross-sectionally concave component body constituting the bottom surface portion and the pair of opposing side wall portions;
a pair of connection portions provided at an end of the component body in the wiring direction and to which another protector component is connected;
The connection portion is
A plate-shaped flange portion is provided on one end side of the component body in the wiring direction and protrudes from the end of the component body toward the outside in the opposing direction in which the pair of side wall portions oppose each other ;
a fitting groove portion provided on the other end side of the component body in the wiring direction, protruding from an end of the protector component toward the outside in the opposing direction, and having a groove portion into which the flange portion provided on another protector component is fitted from the opening side;
The body of the structure is
A fixing portion for fixing the cover constituent body is provided on an outer surface in a direction in which the pair of side wall portions face each other ,
The cover structure includes:
a body cover portion having a fixed portion fixed to the fixing portion and covering the opening of the component body in the protector component;
a connection cover portion that covers the opening of the connection portion that is connected to another of the protector structures,
The cover structure does not cover the opening at a location corresponding to the connection portion different from the connection portion connected to another protector structure.
Protector. At least one of the plurality of protector structures includes:
A branch protector structure having three or more of the above-mentioned connection parts.
The protector according to claim 1 . At least one of the plurality of protector structures includes:
The body of the structure is a bent bend protector structure.
The protector according to claim 1 or 2 . At least one of the plurality of protector structures includes:
The size of the cross-sectional shape of the pair of side wall portions along the opposing direction of the pair of side wall portions gradually changes along the wiring direction.
The protector according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . the connecting portion of the protector component which is one end of the protector main body is the fitting groove portion,
A corrugated fixing body is provided which is inserted into the groove portion of the fitting groove portion from the opening side and fits into a recess of a corrugated tube surrounding the electric wire.
The protector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The fixing portion of the protector assembly to which the cover assembly is fixed is
The length of the pair of side wall portions in the opposing direction is shorter than the length of the connecting portion.
The protector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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