JP7640313B2 - Shielded exterior and wire harness provided on the shielded exterior - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a shield exterior that surrounds from the outside an electric wire that is inserted inside, and to a wire harness that includes the shield exterior and the electric wire.

In electric and hybrid vehicles, high-voltage wire harnesses (hereafter referred to as "high-voltage harnesses") are used to transmit large amounts of power to high-voltage components.

For example, when connecting a battery and a motor, the high-voltage harness is generally formed to be long, i.e., large, because a middle portion in the longitudinal direction X is routed vertically in the front-rear direction under the vehicle floor. Furthermore, in both sides of the above-mentioned routed portion under the vehicle floor in the longitudinal direction X of the high-voltage harness, the harness is routed while detouring surrounding in-vehicle devices until it reaches the battery and motor, so that the harness often has a shape that is bent and deformed in various directions.
For this reason, wire harnesses such as high voltage harnesses may become bulky when transported from the manufacturing site to the wiring site.

However, in order to enhance the function of regulating the path of the electric wires and protecting the electric wires, the exterior members provided on wire harnesses such as high-voltage harnesses are often formed almost entirely in the longitudinal direction from a hard member (main electromagnetic shielding portion) such as a metal pipe, as exemplified by the exterior member (cylindrical shielding means) disclosed in Patent Document 1.

For this reason, wire harnesses equipped with such shielding exteriors, including the wire harness disclosed in Patent Document 1, are difficult to make into a compact form, and there is concern that they may not be able to be transported efficiently.

Patent No. 3909763

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a shield exterior that has electromagnetic shielding function but can be transported without being bulky, and a wire harness equipped with the shield exterior.

The present invention relates to a wire harness including a cylindrical shield exterior having electromagnetic shielding properties and an electric wire inserted into the inside of the shield exterior, the shield exterior including a plurality of rigid cylindrical bodies having a first electromagnetic shielding portion that exhibits the electromagnetic shielding properties, and a flexible cylindrical body that is arranged between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies and connects ends of the rigid cylindrical bodies on both sides that face each other, the flexible cylindrical body being electrically conductively connected to each of the rigid cylindrical bodies on both sides between the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies, surrounding the outside of the inserted electric wire, and exhibiting the electromagnetic shielding properties. The flexible tubular body has a second electromagnetic shielding portion, the second electromagnetic shielding portion is provided on the flexible tubular body, the flexible tubular body having the second electromagnetic shielding portion is composed of a tubular braided body formed by weaving metal wires into a tubular shape, a cover body is provided to cover the flexible tubular body from the outside, the cover body is a hard cover body and is attached between the ends of adjacent hard tubular bodies, and the hard cover body includes a straight-shaped cover body formed to correspond to a straight portion in the wiring path and a bent-shaped cover body formed to correspond to a bent portion in the wiring path .

According to the above configuration, the wire harness can be folded compactly as a whole by bending and deforming the flexible tubular body provided between adjacent hard tubular bodies in the longitudinal direction of the shield exterior.

Furthermore, since the second electromagnetic shielding portion provided between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies (at a location corresponding to the location of the flexible cylindrical body in the longitudinal direction of the shield exterior) and the first electromagnetic shielding portion provided on the rigid cylindrical body are conductively connected, the shield exterior can ensure electromagnetic shielding properties between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies and between these rigid cylindrical bodies.
Therefore, according to the above-mentioned configuration, while having an electromagnetic shielding function, it can be transported without being bulky.

Furthermore, since the second electromagnetic shielding portion is configured to be provided on the flexible cylindrical body, an electromagnetic shielding effect can be obtained between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies and the flexible cylindrical bodies that are conductively connected to them, without providing a separate member other than the flexible cylindrical bodies that constitutes the second electromagnetic shielding portion between the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies.

Furthermore, since the flexible tubular body having the second electromagnetic shielding portion is composed of a tubular braided body in which metal wires are woven and formed into a tubular shape, it is possible to form the flexible tubular body having both excellent electrical conductivity and flexibility.

In addition, since a cover body is provided to cover the flexible tubular body from the outside, the flexible tubular body can be protected by the cover body, and thus the protective function of the electric wire inserted inside the flexible tubular body can be enhanced.

Furthermore, since the cover body is a hard cover body, when the wire harness is arranged along the wiring path, the hard cover body can ensure the path control function of the electric wire between adjacent hard tubular bodies and protect the flexible tubular body.

The electric wire may be one or more, and does not have to have electromagnetic shielding properties by itself. If two electric wires are provided, they may be twisted together to form a twisted pair electric wire.

Here, the hard cylindrical body is formed to be harder than the flexible cylindrical body, and has the rigidity (shape retention) to regulate the path of the electric wire inserted inside when it is routed along the wiring path.
On the other hand, the flexible cylindrical body is formed to be more flexible than the hard cylindrical body, and has a rigidity that allows bending deformation.

In this specification, "transport" is not limited to the transportation of a wire harness between different facilities or sites, but also includes the movement of a wire harness within the same facility or site.

In one aspect of this invention, the flexible cylindrical body may be fitted onto the end of the rigid cylindrical body, and a fixing body may be provided to fix the fitted flexible cylindrical body to the rigid cylindrical body.

According to the above configuration, the end of the flexible cylindrical body can be firmly fixed to the end of the rigid cylindrical body. Therefore, the flexible cylindrical body and the rigid cylindrical body can be kept connected without being unintentionally separated during transportation or installation.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the cover body may be configured to cover a portion of the flexible tubular body in a circumferential direction from the outside.
According to this configuration, the cover body can effectively protect the areas in the circumferential direction of the flexible tubular body that require protection.

In another aspect of the present invention, the flexible tubular body may be configured so that it can be placed in a straight portion of the wiring path.

According to this configuration, the flexible cylindrical body arranged in the straight section can be bent and deformed to make the shielding exterior compact, allowing it to be transported efficiently.

Furthermore, as described above, the straight portion is bendable, so that when the wire harness is routed along a routing path in the vehicle body, the straight portion including the flexible tubular body and its surrounding area can be handled with greater freedom.

As a result, the wire harness can be easily routed while avoiding interference between the wire harness and vehicle body parts located around the wiring path.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the flexible cylindrical body may also be provided at the end of the shield exterior.

According to the above configuration, when the ends of the electric wires are connected to the respective electric wire connection points of the battery and the motor in the vehicle body, the electric wires extending from the ends of the shield exterior to the electric wire connection points can be protected by being covered by the flexible cylindrical body.

Furthermore, even if the shield exterior vibrates due to vehicle body vibration or the like, the flexible cylindrical body can absorb the vibration from the shield exterior to the electric wire connection point, thereby preventing the influence of the vibration of the shield exterior from reaching the electric wire connection point.

The present invention also relates to a shielding exterior that is tubular and has electromagnetic shielding properties, and has electric wires inserted therein to constitute the above-mentioned wire harness, and is characterized in that it is provided with a plurality of rigid cylindrical bodies that are rigid and provided with a first electromagnetic shielding section, and flexible cylindrical bodies that have flexibility and connect the rigid cylindrical bodies to each other, and that a second electromagnetic shielding section is provided between the rigid cylindrical bodies arranged on both sides of the flexible cylindrical body, and is electrically conductively connected to each of the rigid cylindrical bodies on both sides and surrounds the outside of the inserted electric wires.

According to this configuration, the flexible cylindrical body provided between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies in the longitudinal direction can be bent and deformed, allowing the entire device to be folded compactly.

Furthermore, since the second electromagnetic shielding portion provided between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies (at a location corresponding to the location of the flexible cylindrical body in the longitudinal direction) and the first electromagnetic shielding portion provided on the rigid cylindrical body are conductively connected, electromagnetic shielding can be ensured between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies and between these rigid cylindrical bodies.
Therefore, according to the above-mentioned configuration, while having an electromagnetic shielding function, it does not become bulky during transportation and can be easily deployed and installed at the destination.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the flexible cylindrical body having the second electromagnetic shield portion may be configured with a shielded corrugated tube made of resin having electromagnetic shielding properties and flexibility.
According to the above-mentioned configuration, the flexible cylindrical body can be configured to have durability in addition to electrical conductivity and flexibility.

As a further aspect of the present invention, a cover may be provided to cover the flexible cylindrical body from the outside, and the second electromagnetic shield portion may be provided on the cover.
According to the above configuration, the flexible tubular body can be protected by the cover body, and thus the function of protecting the electric wires inserted inside the flexible tubular body can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, even if the second electromagnetic shielding portion is not provided on the flexible cylindrical body, the electromagnetic shielding between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies can be ensured by the second electromagnetic shielding portion provided on the cover body.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the cover body may be a flexible cover body having flexibility.
According to the above configuration, the flexible tubular body can be protected by the flexible cover body while maintaining the flexibility of the shield exterior between the adjacent rigid tubular bodies.

The above configuration makes it possible to provide a shield exterior and a wire harness equipped with the shield exterior that have electromagnetic shielding capabilities, are not bulky during transportation, and can be easily unfolded and routed at the destination.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the cover body in FIG. 2 . 2 is a side view showing a flexible tubular body and its surroundings of the wire harness of the embodiment, partially in cross section. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the configuration of a fourth modified example in correspondence with FIG. 5A. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of the wire harness according to the embodiment, which is different from that shown in FIG. 2 . 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a portion of the wire harness according to the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 6 is folded. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main part of a wire harness according to a first modified example, corresponding to FIG. 4 . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main part of a wire harness according to a second modified example, corresponding to FIG. 4 . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a main part of a wire harness according to a third modified example, corresponding to FIG. 4 .

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment includes a cylindrical shield exterior 10 having electromagnetic shielding properties, and one or more (two in this example) electric wires 2 inserted into the inside of the shield exterior 10.
Although not shown, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment is a high-voltage wire harness that connects a battery and a motor in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and a longitudinal middle portion of the wire harness 1 is routed, for example, under the floor of the vehicle.
Although not shown, the wire harness 1 is arranged in a substantially straight line so as to run longitudinally in the front-rear direction under the floor of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the wire harness 1 is connected to a battery and a motor, but is not limited thereto. In the following description, the motor side is set as one side Xa (one end side Xa) and the battery side is set as the other side Xb (the other end side Xb) in the arrangement route R of the wire harness 1.

The wiring path R of the wire harness 1 has multiple straight sections Rs with various lengths depending on the wiring location in the vehicle body, and multiple bent sections Rt with various bend shapes (bend angles, bend radii).

Two (a pair of) electric wires 2 are arranged so that the distance between them is approximately constant along the longitudinal direction, i.e., they are arranged approximately in parallel. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these two electric wires 2 are collectively surrounded by a shield exterior 10. In this embodiment, the two electric wires 2 have the same structure and size, so the following description will be given based on one of the electric wires 2.

The electric wire 2 is a high-voltage electric wire capable of handling high voltages and large currents, and is composed of a conductor portion 121 formed by bundling together multiple conductive core wires, and an insulating coating portion 122 having insulating properties and covering the entire outer circumference of the conductor portion 121, as shown in FIG. 5(a).

The electric wire 2 of this embodiment is a non-shielded electric wire that does not have an electromagnetic shield structure in the electric wire 2 itself. However, the electric wire 2 may be a shielded electric wire that has an electromagnetic shield structure, for example, by covering it with a conductive braided member.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric wire 2 has both ends 2a, 2b in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) extending from the ends 10a, 10b of the shield exterior 10. Although not shown, the terminal fitting provided at one end 2a of the electric wire 2 in the longitudinal direction is connected to a predetermined terminal attachment part of a connector or the like provided on the motor side. Meanwhile, the terminal fitting provided at the other end 2b of the electric wire 2 in the longitudinal direction is connected to a predetermined terminal attachment part of a connector or the like provided on the battery side.

The shield exterior 10 surrounds the electric wires 2 over substantially the entire length of the wiring path R of the wire harness 1 between the motor and the battery. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the shield exterior 10 is designated as X, the radial direction as Y, and the circumferential direction as Z.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5(a), the shield exterior 10 includes multiple rigid cylindrical bodies 11 that are rigidly formed to protect the electric wires 2, multiple flexible cylindrical bodies 21 (see Figures 3, 4, and 5(a)) that are flexible, and multiple cover bodies 31 that cover the flexible cylindrical bodies 21 from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hard cylindrical body 11 and the flexible cylindrical body 21 are arranged in series and alternately along the longitudinal direction X of the shield exterior 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the hard cylindrical body 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter large enough to insert the electric wire 2 (two electric wires 2 in this example) therein, and is integrally formed to have a two-layer structure consisting of a cylindrical conductive main body portion 12 having electrical conductivity and an insulating outer layer portion 13 that covers the entire circumference of the conductive main body portion 12 from the outside.

When the hard cylindrical body 11 is arranged along the wiring path R of the wire harness 1, it has enough rigidity to protect the electric wire 2 from flying stones and the like and to hold the electric wire 2 along the wiring path R (to regulate the path so that it cannot be bent or deformed).

The conductive main body 12 is an aluminum pipe made of aluminum over the entire length and circumference of the cylindrical hard tubular body 11. As a result, the hard tubular body 11 has a first electromagnetic shielding section 14 that provides electromagnetic shielding properties.

The insulating outer layer 13 is a resin layer formed from an insulating material (resin member) so as to form an outer layer of the hard cylindrical body 11, outside the conductive main body 12 in the radial direction Y.

The rigid cylindrical body 11 has exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b at both ends in the longitudinal direction X, where the conductive main body 12 is exposed, and the area between these exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b is covered with an insulating outer layer 13.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the rigid cylindrical body 11 has the conductive body 12 exposed to the insulating outer layer 13 over the entire circumference at both ends in the longitudinal direction X. In this way, the ends of the conductive body 12 exposed to the insulating outer layer 13 are set as exposed conductor ends 12a and 12b.

In this embodiment, the conductive main body 12 is made of aluminum, but it is not limited to aluminum, and as long as it is conductive, a suitable metal type such as iron, copper, or stainless steel may be selected depending on the location of placement, or it may be configured with a conductive material other than metal, such as graphite.

In addition, the rigid cylindrical body 11 in this embodiment is formed in a perfect circular shape when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X (axial direction) (hereinafter referred to as an "orthogonal cross section"), but the rigid cylindrical body of the present invention is not limited to this and may be formed in, for example, an elliptical shape, an oval shape, or a polygonal shape such as a square shape.
Furthermore, the hard cylindrical body of the present invention does not require the insulating outer layer portion 13, and it is sufficient that the hard cylindrical body has a configuration including at least the conductive main body portion 12 out of the conductive main body portion 12 and the insulating outer layer portion 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, a clamp 4 is attached to a specific one of the multiple rigid cylindrical bodies 11 as a mounting member for mounting the wire harness 1, which is routed along a specific routing path R in the vehicle body, to the vehicle body.

The clamp 4 has a known structure having a holding portion 5 held by a hard cylindrical body 11, and an anchor portion 6 serving as a vehicle body mounting portion that is mounted to a predetermined mounting location A on the vehicle body.
The holding portion 5 includes a band portion 5a that is wound around the rigid cylindrical body 11, and a buckle portion 5b that locks the band portion 5a wound around the rigid cylindrical body 11.

The anchor part 6 is equipped with a support plate part 6b and an elastic locking piece 6a, which are used to clamp the edge part Aa of the anchor hole Ah from both sides, thereby attaching it to the edge part Aa of the anchor hole Ah.

In this way, by attaching the clamp 4 to the vehicle body while it is attached to the hard cylindrical body 11, the wire harness 1 can be attached to the vehicle body while the hard cylindrical body 11 restricts the electric wire 2 along the wiring path R.

The mounting members such as the clamp 4 for mounting the wire harness 1 to the vehicle body are not limited to being provided separately so as to be attachable to the hard cylindrical body 11, but may be integrally formed. Also, the mounting members such as the clamp 4 are not limited to being provided on the hard cylindrical body 11, but may be provided on the hard cover body 31 described later.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the hard cylindrical body 11 of this embodiment is formed in a straight line shape that corresponds to a predetermined straight line portion Rs in the wiring path R of the wire harness 1.

Incidentally, among the multiple straight line portions Rs in the wiring path R of the wire harness 1, there are relatively long straight line portions Rs, such as the portion (underfloor straight line portion Rs) that is wired in a straight line so as to traverse the underfloor in the front-to-rear direction as described above. The shield exterior 10 arranged in such relatively long straight line portions Rs is divided as evenly as possible into multiple portions each having a predetermined length that is the same as or shorter than any of the relatively short straight line portions Rs.

Furthermore, when the multiple rigid cylindrical bodies 11 are formed to have lengths corresponding to sections that are approximately evenly divided in the longitudinal direction of the shield exterior 10, it is possible to share parts between the multiple rigid cylindrical bodies 11.
However, although it is preferable that the multiple hard cylindrical bodies 11 are formed to have the same length as much as possible, they may be configured to have different lengths.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the flexible cylindrical body 21 is formed in a straight, cylindrical shape with an inner diameter large enough to insert the electric wire 2 (two electric wires 2 in this example).

In this embodiment, the flexible tubular body 21 is formed of a flexible and conductive tubular braided body over its entire length and circumference. As a result, the flexible tubular body 21 has a second electromagnetic shielding section 24 that provides electromagnetic shielding properties.

The tubular braid is a flexible cylindrical braid formed by braiding tin-plated copper wires 21w (see FIG. 4), that is, tin-plated copper wires 21w.
In addition, the tubular braid as the flexible tubular body 21 is not limited to a braided member formed by braiding tin-plated copper wires 21w as in this embodiment, but may be an unplated one or may be made of other metals such as aluminum (i.e., an aluminum braid formed by braiding aluminum wires).

The flexible tubular body 21 is also formed so that it can be bent in any direction and at any angle from the state in which it is arranged in a straight line as shown in FIG. 6. This allows the wire harness 1 to be folded into a compact shape as shown in FIG. 7, for example, by bending the flexible tubular body 21 back (bending it approximately 180 degrees) from the state in which it is arranged in a straight line as shown in FIG. 6.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the flexible tubular body 21 has flexibility that allows it to be bent and deformed in accordance with a bent portion Rt in the wiring route R of the wire harness 1.
However, the flexible tubular body 21 is not limited to being disposed at the bent portion Rt in the wiring path R of the wire harness 1, and may be disposed at a straight portion Rs (see the same figure). In that case, the flexible tubular body 21 is formed to have a length corresponding to the straight portion Rs where it is disposed.

The flexible cylindrical body 21 is disposed between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b in the longitudinal direction X of the shielding exterior 10 (see FIG. 4) so as to surround the outside of the electric wire 2 over its entire length and circumference, as shown in FIG. 5(a).

As shown in FIG. 4, the shield exterior 10 is connected at the opposing ends (12b, 21a), (12a, 21b) of the rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X and the flexible cylindrical body 21 interposed between these rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, one end 21a of the flexible cylindrical body 21 is connected to an exposed conductor end 12b of the rigid cylindrical body 11a (hereinafter also referred to as the "one-side rigid cylindrical body 11a") adjacent to the flexible cylindrical body 21 on one side Xa in the longitudinal direction X, the one end 21a facing the one end 21a, and the other end 21b of the flexible cylindrical body 21 is connected to an exposed conductor end 12a of the rigid cylindrical body 11b (hereinafter also referred to as the "other-side rigid cylindrical body 11b") adjacent to the flexible cylindrical body 21 on the other side Xb in the longitudinal direction X, the other end 21b facing the one end 21b.

The flexible cylindrical body 21 is connected to the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b on both sides using the same connection structure, so only the connection structure between one end 21a of the flexible cylindrical body 21 and the exposed conductor end 12b of the rigid cylindrical body 11a on one side will be described in more detail.

The exposed conductor end 12b of the one-side hard cylindrical body 11a is inserted into one end 21a of the flexible cylindrical body 21 through the opening 22a in the one end 21a. As a result, the one end 21a of the flexible cylindrical body 21 is fitted onto the exposed conductor end 12b of the one-side hard cylindrical body 11a.

Furthermore, one end 21a of the flexible cylindrical body 21 is fixed to the exposed conductor end 12b of the one side hard cylindrical body 11a by binding it from the outside with a metal cable tie 23 as a fixing body.

Here, the conductive exposed conductor end 12b of the one-side rigid cylindrical body 11a is exposed from the insulating outer layer portion 13, and therefore, as described above, when it is fixed to one end 21a of the flexible cylindrical body 21 by a cable tie 23 around its entire circumference, the exposed conductor end 12b and one end 21a are electrically connected to each other.
As a result, the flexible cylindrical body 21 and the one-side hard cylindrical body 11a are connected with their respective ends 21a, 12b being electrically conductive.

The fixing body described above is not limited to the metal cable tie 23 as in this embodiment, as long as it is a means for fixing the opposing ends of the flexible cylindrical body 21 and the rigid cylindrical body 11 while ensuring electrical conductivity between them. For example, a resin cable tie, tape wrapped around one end 21a, a clamp that is fixed by sandwiching it between a pair of half-split divided bodies, adhesive, welding, or a combination of these may be used.

As described above, both the flexible cylindrical body 21 and the rigid cylindrical body 11 (conductive main body portion 12) are conductive over their entire length and circumference, and the flexible cylindrical body 21 is connected to the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b on both sides in the longitudinal direction X in a state in which conductivity is ensured. Therefore, the shield exterior 10 has electromagnetic shielding properties over its entire length and circumference, thereby blocking electromagnetic waves radiated from the electric wire 2 and electromagnetic waves from the outside.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a conductive and flexible tubular braid is connected to both ends 10a, 10b of the shielding exterior 10 in the longitudinal direction X as a flexible tubular body 21e. The flexible tubular body 21e surrounds the vicinity of the ends 2a, 2b corresponding to each other in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 2.

Although not shown, at least one end (10a, 10b) of the shield exterior 10 in the longitudinal direction X is grounded (earthed) to a ground circuit on the vehicle body side as a noise countermeasure. Here, it is preferable that both ends of the shield exterior 10 in the longitudinal direction X are grounded to the ground circuit.
However, as described above, it is preferable that one end (10a, 10b) of the shield exterior 10 in the longitudinal direction X is grounded to a ground circuit, but it may be configured not to be grounded. Also, a portion of the shield exterior 10 other than both ends 10a, 10b may be grounded to a ground circuit.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5A, the cover body 31 is attached to the flexible cylindrical body 21 from the outside.
However, as shown in FIG. 1, the flexible cylindrical bodies 21e provided at both ends 10a, 10b in the longitudinal direction X of the shield exterior 10 are not covered with the cover body 31, so that the flexibility of both ends 10a, 10b is maintained.

The cover body 31 of this embodiment is formed as a hard cover body that has a rigidity over the entire circumference and length that can regulate the flexible tubular body 21 and the electric wire 2 inserted inside the flexible tubular body 21 in a state in which they are routed along the routing path R. Furthermore, the cover body 31 of this embodiment is entirely formed of an insulating (i.e., non-conductive) resin material.

The cover body 31 in this embodiment is provided with a straight-line cover body 31s formed to correspond to a predetermined straight-line portion Rs in the wiring path R of the wire harness 1, and a curved cover body 31t formed to correspond to a predetermined curved portion Rt.

That is, the cover body 31 is provided with both a straight-line cover body 31s and a curved cover body 31t in response to the flexible tubular body 21 of this embodiment being disposed in both the curved portion Rt and the straight portion Rs of the wiring path R of the wire harness 1.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5(a), the cover body 31 is formed to have a substantially circular shape, i.e., a cylindrical shape, in the orthogonal cross section, and as shown in Figures 3 and 5(a), it is formed with multiple (two in this example) divided bodies 32 (32A, 32B).

The pair of divided bodies 32 are formed so that the substantially circular cover body 31 is divided into substantially two equal parts in the orthogonal cross section, i.e., so that they are substantially semicircular in shape in the orthogonal cross section over the entire length in the axial direction (longitudinal direction X). In this embodiment, the pair of divided bodies 32 in the linear cover body 31s are formed to have the same shape.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5(a), the cover body 31 is formed to a size that can surround the entire length and circumference of the flexible cylindrical body 21.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the cover body 31 is formed to be slightly longer than the distance between the opposing ends 13a, 13b of the insulating outer layer portion 13 provided on each of the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b. Furthermore, the cover body 31 is formed to be slightly larger in diameter than the rigid cylindrical body 11 so that the inner surface 33 abuts against the outer surface 15 of the rigid cylindrical body 11 along the circumferential direction Z. In other words, the cover body 31 is formed so that its inner diameter is equivalent to the outer diameter of the rigid cylindrical body 11.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the cover body 31 has an engagement structure formed at each of the two ends 34 (first butt end 34A and second butt end 34B) where the pair of divided bodies 32 are butted together, as a means for holding the pair of divided bodies 32 together so that they do not separate from each other.

Specifically, the first butt end 34A has an engagement structure formed by an engagement protrusion 35a formed at the end on one side of the partition 32A and an engagement recess 35b formed at the end on the other side of the partition 32B so as to be able to engage with the engagement protrusion 35a.

In addition, at the second butt end 34B, an engagement structure is formed by an engagement protrusion 35a formed at the end on the other divided body 32B side and an engagement recess 35b formed at the end on the one divided body 32A side so as to be able to engage with the engagement protrusion 35a.

The engagement structures (35a, 35b) provided on the first butt end 34A and the second butt end 34B are shown only in FIG. 5(a) and are omitted in the other drawings.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the cover body 31 is attached to the outside of the flexible tubular body 21, the pair of divided bodies 32 are arranged to sandwich the flexible tubular body 21 from both sides in the orthogonal cross-sectional view. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the engaging protrusions 35a and the engaging recesses 35b at the first butt end 34A and the second butt end 34B are engaged with each other, so that the pair of divided bodies 32 are held together.

Furthermore, in this state, as shown in FIG. 4, the cover body 31 is in a state of straddling the opposing ends 13a, 13b of the insulating outer layer 13 provided on each of the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b, and the inner surfaces 33 of both ends 31a, 31b in the longitudinal direction X are in contact with the outer surfaces 15 of the opposing ends 13a, 13b of the insulating outer layer 13 of the corresponding rigid cylindrical bodies 11 along the circumferential direction Z.

The means for holding the pair of divided bodies 32 so that they do not separate when the cover body 31 is attached to the flexible cylindrical body 21 from the outside is not limited to the engagement structure described above, and may be, for example, a cable tie that ties the cover body 31 in a state where it is wrapped around the outside in the circumferential direction Z, a wrapping tape, a clamp that clamps the cover body 31 from the outside, an adhesive that bonds the butted ends of the first butted end 34A and the second butted end 34B of the pair of divided bodies 32, or welding that welds them together, or a combination of these. In addition, the cover body of the present invention is not limited to a divided structure having multiple divided bodies 32 (32A, 32B) like the cover body 31 described above, but may be configured as a single cylinder that is not divided in the circumferential direction and surrounds the electric wire 2 from the outside by inserting it inside.

The above-mentioned cover body 31 can cover the flexible cylindrical body 21 and the connection portion (exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b) of the rigid cylindrical body 11 with the flexible cylindrical body 21 from the outside in the radial direction Y over the entire circumference and entire length.

Furthermore, the surface of the shielding exterior 10 is arranged such that the insulating outer layer 13 of the hard cylindrical body 11 and the cover body 31 made of an insulating material appear alternately along the longitudinal direction X (see FIG. 1), so that the entire outer surface (surface) of the shielding exterior 10 can be covered with insulating material over the entire circumference and length of the shielding exterior 10.

Therefore, the wire harness 1 can be configured so that even if it comes into electrical contact with surrounding electrical devices, electric wires, and other conductive members, it does not adversely affect these conductive members.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5(a), the wire harness 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment includes a cylindrical shielding exterior 10 having electromagnetic shielding properties and an electric wire 2 inserted inside the shielding exterior 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the shielding exterior 10 includes a plurality of hard cylindrical bodies 11 having a first electromagnetic shielding portion 14 that provides the electromagnetic shielding properties, and a flexible cylindrical body 21 that is arranged between adjacent hard cylindrical bodies 11 and connects the ends (12b, 21a) (12a, 21b) facing the hard cylindrical bodies 11 on both sides. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5(a), between adjacent hard cylindrical bodies 11, the flexible cylindrical body 21 is electrically connected to each of the hard cylindrical bodies 11 on both sides so as to be conductive, and a second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 that surrounds the outside of the inserted electric wire 2 and provides electromagnetic shielding properties is provided.

The above configuration provides electromagnetic shielding, but does not take up much space during transport and can be easily deployed and routed at the destination.

In more detail, in general, when a high-voltage harness is used to connect, for example, a battery and a motor, the intermediate portion of the high-voltage harness in the longitudinal direction X is routed longitudinally in the front-rear direction under the vehicle floor, and therefore the harness is formed in a long shape. Furthermore, the high-voltage harness described above is formed as a long object that is bent and deformed in various directions (i.e., bent and deformed into a two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape) in order to route the harness between, for example, the battery or motor and a lower position under the vehicle floor while bypassing surrounding on-board equipment.

The wire harness 1 is also provided with an exterior member that covers the electric wires 2 from the outside over almost the entire length. In particular, in high-voltage harnesses, the exterior member may be a hard pipe made entirely of a hard material, such as a metal pipe, which has an electromagnetic shielding function in itself and enhances the path regulation function of the electric wires 2 and the protection function of the electric wires 2 against external forces such as flying stones.

In this way, wire harnesses 1, including high-voltage harnesses, that are equipped with exterior members that have electromagnetic shielding functions are formed as long, three-dimensional objects, but because the exterior members are made of hard metal pipes, they cannot be bent or deformed compactly, and are bulky when transported, making them difficult to transport or move efficiently.

In contrast, according to the above-described configuration, the flexible cylindrical body 21 provided between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11 in the longitudinal direction X of the shield exterior 10 is bent and deformed, so that the entire structure can be folded compactly as shown in FIG. 7 .
Therefore, the wire harness 1 can be easily transported to a wire harness installation site in a state where it is folded compactly and stored in a harness storage box (not shown) or the like.

Furthermore, the flexible cylindrical body 21 (second electromagnetic shielding portion 24) provided between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11 (at a location corresponding to the location of the flexible cylindrical body 21 in the longitudinal direction X) is conductively connected to the conductive main body portion 12 (first electromagnetic shielding portion 14) provided on the rigid cylindrical body 11, so that the shield exterior 10 can ensure electromagnetic shielding properties between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b and between these rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b.

Furthermore, when the wire harness 1 is transported, the shield exterior 10 does not need to be disassembled into the multiple hard tubular bodies 11 and the flexible tubular bodies 21, and the adjacent hard tubular bodies 11 are connected to each other via the flexible tubular bodies 21, making it possible to make the wire harness 1 compact. Therefore, at the transport destination, the wire harness 1 can be easily unfolded from the bent and deformed state and routed without the need to reconnect the multiple hard tubular bodies 11 and the flexible tubular bodies 21 to form a layout according to the routing route R.

Therefore, with the above configuration, while having electromagnetic shielding function, it does not become bulky during transportation and can be easily deployed and routed at the destination.

In addition, the shield exterior 10 can be handled as a single exterior member, whether during or after transportation, so even in a configuration that includes multiple flexible cylindrical bodies 21 and multiple hard cylindrical bodies 11, these components can be easily managed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the flexible cylindrical body 21 of this embodiment is fitted onto the exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b (ends) of the rigid cylindrical body 11, and in this state, a cable tie 23 is provided as a fixing body that fixes the flexible cylindrical body 21 to the exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b of the rigid cylindrical body 11.

According to the above configuration, the flexible cylindrical body 21 can be firmly fixed to the exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b of the rigid cylindrical body 11 by the cable ties 23. Therefore, the shield exterior 10 can keep the flexible cylindrical body 21 and the rigid cylindrical body 11 connected to each other without them being unintentionally separated during transportation or installation.

In addition, as shown in Figures 4 and 5(a), the flexible cylindrical body 21 functions as the second electromagnetic shielding section 24, so that the electromagnetic shielding between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b can be ensured without providing a separate member other than the flexible cylindrical body 21 that constitutes the second electromagnetic shielding section 24 between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11.

As shown in FIG. 4, the flexible cylindrical body 21 having the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 is composed of a cylindrical braided body in which copper wires 21w are woven as metal wires to form a cylindrical shape.

The above configuration makes it possible to construct a flexible cylindrical body 21 that has both excellent electrical conductivity and flexibility.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5(a), the shield exterior 10 is provided with a cover body 31 that covers the flexible cylindrical body 21 from the outside.

With this configuration, the cover body 31 can protect the flexible tubular body 21, and thus improve the protection function of the electric wire 2 inserted inside the flexible tubular body 21.

Also, as shown in the figure, the cover body 31 in this embodiment is a hard cover body.

According to the above configuration, when the wire harness 1 is routed along the routing path R, the cover body 31 ensures the path regulation function of the electric wires 2 between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11 and protects the flexible cylindrical body 21 from external forces.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6, the flexible tubular body 21 is formed with a length that allows it to be placed in the straight portion Rs of the wiring path R.

According to the above configuration, when the wire harness 1 is transported, the flexible tubular body 21 arranged in the straight portion Rs is bent and deformed, so that the wire harness 1 (shield exterior 10) can be made compact.

Furthermore, as described above, when the wire harness 1 is routed along the routing path R in the vehicle body, the straight portion Rs can be bent and deformed in the flexible tubular body 21, thereby increasing the freedom of handling of the wire harness 1.
Therefore, the wire harness 1 can be easily routed while avoiding interference with vehicle body parts located around the routing route R.

In addition, with the above configuration, it is possible to arbitrarily set the length of the hard cylindrical bodies 11 arranged on both sides of the flexible cylindrical body 21 depending on the location and length of the flexible cylindrical body 21 arranged in the straight portion Rs of the wiring path R of the wire harness 1.

For this reason, the length of the rigid cylindrical body 11 in the longitudinal direction X does not need to be the same as, for example, the length of the straight portion Rs in the wiring path R of the wire harness 1, and it is possible to standardize the component size by aligning the lengths among multiple rigid cylindrical bodies 11.
Therefore, the management of the components of the shield exterior 10 becomes easier and the manufacturing costs can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 1, flexible cylindrical bodies 21e are also provided at ends 10a and 10b of the shield exterior 10.

According to the above configuration, when the ends 2a and 2b of the electric wire 2 are connected to an electric device such as a motor in the vehicle body or to the respective electric wire connection points (not shown) in the battery, the electric wire 2 can be protected by being covered with the flexible cylindrical body 21e up to the part in the longitudinal direction that is as close as possible to the electric wire connection points.

Furthermore, even if the shield exterior 10 vibrates due to vehicle body vibration or the like, the flexible cylindrical body 21e can absorb the vibration from the shield exterior 10 to the electric wire connection point, thereby preventing the vibration of the shield exterior 10 from affecting the electric wire connection point.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, but can be formed in various embodiments.
Shield exteriors 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D according to modified examples of the present invention will be described below, but the same structures as those of the shield exterior 10 of the above-described embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

For example, as in the shield exterior 10A of modified example 1 shown in FIG. 8, the flexible tubular body 21A provided with the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 is not a tubular braided body, but is composed of a shielded corrugated tube having electromagnetic shielding properties and flexibility. The flexible tubular body 21A of modified example 1 is formed from a conductive resin material made of resin containing conductive powder. As a result, the flexible tubular body 21A of modified example 1 is conductive over its entire length and circumference, similar to the flexible tubular body 21 described above.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to form a flexible cylindrical body 21 that is durable in addition to being conductive and flexible.
In addition, the shielded corrugated tube as the flexible cylindrical body 21A having electromagnetic shielding properties is not limited to the configuration of modified example 1, and may be configured, for example, such that the inner surface of a resin corrugated tube is provided with a thin-walled conductive member such as metal foil.

Also, as in the shield exterior 10B of modified example 2 shown in FIG. 9, the second electromagnetic shield section 24 may be provided on the cover body 31B that covers the flexible cylindrical body 21B from the outside.

Specifically, the flexible cylindrical body 21B of the second modification is a corrugated tube made of a resin material, and is configured to be insulating (i.e., not conductive) over its entire length and circumference.

On the other hand, the cover body 31B of the second modification has a metal foil 37 adhered to the entire inner circumferential surface of the hard cover formed of a resin material with a predetermined thickness as the second electromagnetic shielding section 24. When the cover body 31B of the second modification is attached to the outside of the flexible cylindrical body 21B, both ends of the metal foil 37 provided on the cover body 31B in the longitudinal direction X face the exposed conductor ends 12a, 12b of the adjacent hard cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b from the outside in the radial direction over the entire circumference.

The opposing ends (12a, 12b) of the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11a, 11b are electrically connected to both ends 31Ba, 31Bb of the metal foil in the longitudinal direction X of the cover body 31B via a conductive ring 38, and the cover body 31B is conductively connected to the corresponding rigid cylindrical body 11 at both ends 31Ba, 31Bb in the longitudinal direction X.

With this configuration, the cover body 31B can protect the flexible tubular body 21B, and thus the protective function of the electric wire 2 inserted inside the flexible tubular body 21B can be improved.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, even if the flexible cylindrical body 21B is not provided with the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24, the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 provided on the cover body 31B can ensure electromagnetic shielding between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11.

The cover body 31B on which the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 is provided is not limited to the configuration of the second modified example, and may have other configurations as long as they have electromagnetic shielding properties, such as a configuration formed from a conductive resin material made of resin containing conductive powder.

The cover body 31C may also be configured as a flexible cover body, as in the shield exterior 10C of modified example 3 shown in FIG. 10.

Specifically, the cover body 31C of the third modification is a corrugated tube made of a resin material, and is formed to be flexible over its entire length (overall length and circumference) in the same manner as the flexible cylindrical body 21.

The flexible tubular body 21 in the shield exterior 10C of modified example 3 shown in FIG. 10 is formed of a tubular braid, similar to the flexible tubular body 21 in the above-described embodiment.

With this configuration, the flexible cylindrical body 21 can be protected by the cover body 31C while maintaining flexibility between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11 on both sides of the shield exterior 10 in the longitudinal direction X.

The flexible cover 31C of the third modification is formed to be insulating (i.e., not conductive) over its entire length and periphery.
In this way, the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies 11 may be provided on either the cover body or the flexible member, as long as it is provided on at least one of them.

As shown in FIG. 5(b) in the shield exterior 10D of modified example 4, the cover body 31D may be configured to cover a portion of the flexible tubular body 21 in the circumferential direction Z from the outside.

Specifically, the cover body 31D of the fourth modification is formed in such a way that the orthogonal cross section is formed in an arc shape over the entire length in the longitudinal direction X so as to surround the lower part of the flexible tubular body 21 from the outside. The cover body 31D of the fourth modification is entirely formed of a resin material to have a predetermined thickness and is hard.

On the other hand, the flexible tubular body 21 of the fourth modification is disposed in the underfloor straight section Rs. The cover body 31D of the fourth modification can effectively protect the flexible tubular body 21 from flying stones and the like by covering the underside of the flexible tubular body 21 in the circumferential direction Z, where protection is required.

Moreover, the cover body 31D of the fourth modified example covers only the lower side in the circumferential direction Z, rather than the entire circumference of the flexible tubular body 21, and thus the inclusion of the cover body 31D can prevent the weight from increasing.

Furthermore, while the cover body 31D of variant example 4 is formed to be insulating throughout, the flexible tubular body 21 is formed to be conductive throughout, for example, by a tubular braided body, etc., so that the second electromagnetic shielding portion 24 is provided on the flexible tubular body 21.
Therefore, the flexible cylindrical body 21 can surround the electric wire 2 from the outside while ensuring electromagnetic shielding properties all around.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiment and modifications 1 to 4, and other configurations may be adopted.
For example, the cover body of the present invention is not limited to being hard, and may be configured to have flexibility, such as the flexible cover body 31C of the above-mentioned modified example 3. The flexible cover body is not particularly limited in shape, and may be in the form of a tube, sheet, bag, tape, or the like, and may be, for example, a cover body provided with a waterproof function using a resin sheet such as vinyl.

In addition, as described above, the wire harness 1 is arranged with the flexible tubular body 21 bent and deformed according to the bending portion Rt of the wiring path R, so that it is not necessary to provide multiple rigid tubular bodies 11 corresponding to the bending shapes of various bending portions Rt, and parts can be standardized. Also, for example, it is not necessary to provide a rigid tubular body having a bending shape specific to a vehicle model.

However, the wire harness 1 may be configured to include a bent rigid cylindrical body 11 at a portion corresponding to the bent portion Rt of the wiring path R. In other words, the wire harness 1 may use not only a straight rigid cylindrical body 11 but also a bent rigid cylindrical body 11.

10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D... Shield exterior 1... Wire harness 2... Electric wire 11... Hard cylindrical body 12a, 12b... Exposed conductor end (end of hard cylindrical body)
14...First electromagnetic shield portion 12b, 21a...End portions facing the hard cylindrical bodies on both sides 12a, 21b...End portions facing the hard cylindrical bodies on both sides 21...Flexible cylindrical body (flexible cylindrical body, cylindrical braided body)
21A: Flexible cylindrical body (flexible cylindrical body having a second electromagnetic shielding portion, a resin-made shielded corrugated tube having electromagnetic shielding properties and flexibility)
21B...Flexible cylindrical body 21w...Copper wire (metal wire)
23... Cable tie (fixed body)
24...Second electromagnetic shield portion 31...Cover body (cover body, hard cover body)
31B...Cover body (cover body, cover body provided with second electromagnetic shield part)
31C...Cover body (cover body, flexible cover body)
31D: Cover body (cover body, cover body that covers a part of the flexible cylindrical body in the circumferential direction from the outside)
R: wiring path Rs: straight line portion 21e of the wiring path that is wired in a straight line; flexible cylindrical body (flexible cylindrical body provided at an end of the shield exterior);

Claims (6)

A cylindrical shield exterior having electromagnetic shielding properties;
and an electric wire inserted inside the shield exterior.
The shield exterior is
A plurality of hard cylindrical bodies each having a first electromagnetic shielding portion that exhibits the electromagnetic shielding property and being hard;
and a flexible cylindrical body that is disposed between the adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies and connects the ends of the rigid cylindrical bodies on both sides that face each other,
A second electromagnetic shield portion is provided between adjacent rigid cylindrical bodies, the second electromagnetic shield portion is electrically conductively connected to each of the rigid cylindrical bodies on both sides, surrounds the outside of the inserted electric wire, and provides the electromagnetic shielding property ;
the second electromagnetic shield portion is provided on the flexible cylindrical body,
the flexible tubular body having the second electromagnetic shield portion is composed of a tubular braided body in which metal wires are braided and formed into a tubular shape,
a cover body is provided to cover the flexible cylindrical body from the outside;
The cover body is a hard cover body and is attached across the ends of the adjacent hard cylindrical bodies,
The hard cover body includes a straight cover body formed to correspond to a straight portion of the wiring path, and a curved cover body formed to correspond to a curved portion of the wiring path.
Wire harness. The flexible cylindrical body is fitted onto an end of the hard cylindrical body,
The wire harness according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing member for fixing the flexible tubular body to the hard tubular body. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the cover body is configured to cover a part of the flexible tubular body in a circumferential direction from an outside. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible tubular body is formed so as to be able to be arranged on a straight portion of a wiring path. 5. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible tubular body is also provided at an end of the shield exterior. A shielding exterior that constitutes the wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , the shielding exterior being in a tubular shape having electromagnetic shielding properties and having electric wires inserted therein,
A plurality of the rigid cylindrical bodies each having the first electromagnetic shield portion;
and a flexible cylindrical body having flexibility that connects the rigid cylindrical bodies to each other,
A shield exterior in which the second electromagnetic shielding portion is provided between the rigid cylindrical bodies arranged on both sides of the flexible cylindrical body, and is conductively connected to each of the rigid cylindrical bodies on both sides and surrounds the outside of the electric wire being inserted.

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