JP7813611B2 - Harness exterior material and its installation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention primarily relates to a harness exterior material that protects wire harnesses.

Patent Document 1 discloses a wire harness that is attached to a vehicle body using a band clamp or the like. Patent Document 1 also discloses a method of protecting the wire harness by wrapping tape around the outer periphery of the wire harness.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-150840

However, wrapping tape around a wire harness can require a large amount of space around the wire harness, which can make it difficult to wrap tape around a wire harness that is attached to a structure such as a vehicle body. Furthermore, wrapping tape around a wire harness can take a long time.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its main purpose is to provide a harness exterior material that requires a small space for work and can be easily completed in a short time.

Means to solve the problem and effects

The problem that this invention aims to solve is as described above. Next, we will explain the means for solving this problem and its effects.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a harness exterior material for protecting a wire harness having the following configuration. That is, the harness exterior material comprises a winding member , a protective member, a string, and a string holding portion . The winding member is a sheet-like member with a curled tendency, which maintains its unfolded state by being warped and changes to a wound state by being uncurled. The protective member is a flexible sheet-like member attached to an end of the winding member. The string is attached to the protective member. The string holding portion is attached to the protective member and holds the string. The winding force of the winding member causes the winding member and the protective member to be wound around the wire harness. The string is for tightening the protective member after the protective member has been wound around the wire harness.

This method requires less space, is easier, and can be completed in a shorter time than the method of protecting a wire harness by wrapping tape. While the wrapping member is limited to materials that tend to curl, the protective member can be made of various flexible materials. Therefore, the wire harness can be protected using a protective member with the required protective performance. In addition, the harness exterior material can be firmly attached to the wire harness using the string.

In the above-mentioned harness exterior material, it is preferable that the wrapping member be attached to both ends of the protective member.

The protective material is less likely to peel off from the wire harness after being wrapped around it.

The above-mentioned harness exterior material preferably has the following configuration. That is, the protective member comprises a main protective member and an end protective member. The main protective member is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the two winding members in the winding axial direction. The end protective member is positioned on the opposite side of the main protective member, sandwiching the winding member in the winding axial direction.

The end protection member is placed at the end of the harness exterior material, which prevents contact between the winding member and the wire harness. This makes the wire harness less susceptible to damage.

In the above-mentioned harness exterior material, it is preferable that the string be attached to the protective member so that it appears alternately on the front and back surfaces of the protective member, and that the string be wrapped around and tightened by pulling the string.

The harness exterior can be firmly attached to the wire harness with simple work. The string also does not easily come off the protective material.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the following attachment method is provided. That is, in the attachment method, a harness exterior material is attached to the outer periphery of a wire harness. The harness exterior material includes a winding member, a protective member, a string, and a string holding portion. The winding member is a sheet-like member with a curled tendency, which maintains its unfolded state by being warped and changes to a wound state by unwinding the curl. The protective member is a flexible sheet, and is attached to an end of the winding member. The string is attached to the protective member. The string holding portion is attached to the protective member and holds the string. The harness exterior material is pressed against the wire harness to unwind the winding member, and the winding force of the winding member causes the winding member and the protective member to be wrapped around the wire harness. After the protective member is wrapped around the wire harness, the protective member is tightened using the string.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle body panel, a clamp member, and a harness. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a harness exterior material is attached to a wire harness. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a harness exterior material composed only of a winding member. 10 is a diagram showing a harness exterior material in which the protective member includes a main protective member and an end protective member. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing how the harness exterior material is fixed to the wire harness by winding and tightening the string. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing how the harness exterior material is fixed to the wire harness by pulling the string.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The wire harness 50 shown in Figure 1 is arranged in the body of an automobile, etc. The wire harness 50 is a component formed by bundling multiple electric wires. The wire harness 50 also has a connector (not shown) that is connected to the electric wires. The connector of the wire harness 50 is connected to another electric wire or an electrical component, etc.

The vehicle body panel 61 shown in FIG. 1 is a panel fixed to the body of an automobile. A panel hole 61a is formed in the vehicle body panel 61. Meanwhile, the wire harness 50 is bundled by a clamp member 62. A mounting protrusion 62a is formed on the clamp member 62. The mounting protrusion 62a can be fitted into the panel hole 61a. By fitting the mounting protrusion 62a into the panel hole 61a, the wire harness 50 is attached to the vehicle body panel 61.

Furthermore, after the wire harness 50 is attached to the vehicle body panel 61, the harness exterior material 10a is attached to the wire harness 50. The harness exterior material 10a protects the wire harness 50 by covering the outer periphery of the wire harness 50 (particularly the area sandwiched between the two clamp members 62).

Conventionally, corrugated tubes or other protective devices for harnesses have been attached with tape. However, after the wire harness 50 is attached to the vehicle body panel 61, the gap between the wire harness 50 and the vehicle body panel 61 is small. As a result, it is not possible to pass a tape core through this gap, making it difficult to wrap the tape.

In this regard, the harness exterior material 10a of this embodiment can be attached to the wire harness 50 without using tape. A more detailed explanation follows. As shown in Figure 2, the harness exterior material 10a includes a wrapping member 20 and a protective member 30.

The winding member 20 is a sheet-like member made of, for example, metal or silicone. The winding member 20 has a tendency to curl. A tendency to curl is a property of naturally curling in a predetermined direction when no other force is applied to resist the force in the winding direction (in other words, a force resisting winding). The winding member 20 is manufactured, for example, by winding a material that easily curls around a rod-shaped body. The direction along which the winding member 20 is wound is referred to as the axial direction (Figure 2).

Furthermore, before the harness exterior material 10a is attached to the wire harness 50, the winding member 20 is warped (upper view in Figure 2). Warping the winding member 20 prevents the winding member 20 from being wound, allowing the winding member 20 to maintain an expanded state. Specifically, when viewed from the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the thickness direction, the winding member 20 is deformed to have a convex or concave shape.

In addition, by eliminating the warp formed in the winding member 20, the force resisting winding is eliminated, and the winding force caused by the winding tendency causes the winding member 20 to wind around the axial direction (see the upper and lower views of Figure 2). In more detail, the winding member 20 is wound so that the convex portion formed by the warp faces inward. Because the winding member 20 is wound due to the winding tendency, there is no need for an operator to wind the winding member 20 manually.

The protective member 30 is a flexible sheet-like member. The protective member 30 is, for example, a vinyl sheet, but it may also be a polyester fiber sheet or other material. The material of the protective member 30 can be selected appropriately depending on the abrasion resistance, waterproofness, etc. required of the wire harness 50.

A winding member 20 is attached to each end of the protective member 30 in the axial direction. The winding member 20 and the protective member 30 are attached using, for example, an adhesive. The end faces of the winding member 20 and the protective member 30 may be bonded together, or the winding member 20 and the protective member 30 may be overlapped and bonded together. The winding member 20 and the protective member 30 may also be attached using a material other than adhesive, or the winding member 20 and the protective member 30 may be attached via another member.

After the wire harness 50 is attached to the vehicle body panel 61, the worker prepares the harness exterior material 10a. Next, the worker inserts the harness exterior material 10a into the gap between the wire harness 50 and the vehicle body panel 61, with the convex portion of the wrapping member 20 facing the wire harness 50.

Next, the worker presses the harness exterior material 10a against the wire harness 50, as indicated by the thick arrow in the upper diagram of Figure 2. This eliminates the warp in the winding member 20, allowing the winding member 20 to be wound around the axial direction. As a result, the winding member 20 can be wrapped around the wire harness 50. Because the winding member 20 has a curl, it maintains its state wrapped around the wire harness 50. Furthermore, because the protective member 30 is flexible, the winding force of the winding member 20 causes the winding member 20 and the protective member 30 to be integrally wrapped around the wire harness 50. In this way, the harness exterior material 10a can be attached to the wire harness 50.

Because the harness exterior material 10a is constructed by combining sheet-like members, its thickness is small. While the thickness increases slightly when the winding member 20 is warped, the winding member 20 does not need to be warped significantly, and the amount of warping can be adjusted as needed. Therefore, the thickness of the harness exterior material 10a is significantly smaller than that of a tape core. Therefore, even if the gap between the wire harness 50 and the vehicle body panel 61 is small, the harness exterior material 10a can be wrapped around the wire harness 50.

Furthermore, when tape is used, the tape core must be threaded through the gap multiple times. In contrast, with the harness exterior material 10a of this embodiment, it is only necessary to insert the harness exterior material 10a into the gap and press it upward. Therefore, compared to when tape is used, the labor required for the work can be reduced. Furthermore, the work of wrapping the harness exterior material 10a around the wire harness 50 can be completed in a short time.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the axial length of the harness exterior material 10a corresponds to the spacing between the clamp members 62. Therefore, the size of the harness exterior material 10a required varies depending on the position of the wire harness 50. Because the spacing between the clamp members 62 varies, harness exterior materials 10a of various sizes are required. Therefore, it is preferable to manufacture multiple types of protective members 30 with different axial lengths and then adhere the wrapping member 20 to them to manufacture the harness exterior material 10a. In this case, using a common wrapping member 20 can reduce manufacturing costs. Alternatively, a harness exterior material 10a that is long in the front-to-rear direction may be manufactured, and the harness exterior material 10a may be cut along the axial direction according to the required front-to-rear size.

Next, a first modified example of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows a harness exterior material 10b composed only of a wrapping member 20. Note that in the following description, components that are the same as or similar to those in the above embodiment will be given the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description may be omitted. Also, from Figure 3 onwards, the wire harness 50, vehicle body panel 61, and clamp member 62 will be simplified or omitted.

The harness exterior material 10a in the above embodiment is composed of a wrapping member 20 and a protective member 30. In contrast, the harness exterior material 10b in the first modified example is composed only of the wrapping member 20 and does not include the protective member 30. The structure of the wrapping member 20 in the first modified example is the same as in the above embodiment. However, the axial length of the wrapping member 20 in the first modified example needs to be the same as or similar to the length of the portion of the wire harness 50 to be protected.

The harness outer casing 10b of the first modified example has a simpler structure than the harness outer casing 10a of the above embodiment. Furthermore, because the harness outer casing 10b of the first modified example does not have any joints, it is less likely to break even if excessive force is applied to the harness outer casing 10b.

Next, a second modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 shows a harness exterior material 10c in which the protective member 30 includes a main protective member 31 and an end protective member 32.

The protective member 30 of the second modified example comprises a main protective member 31 and two end protective members 32. The main protective member 31 and the two end protective members 32 have the same configuration and are made of the same materials as the protective member 30 of the above embodiment. Furthermore, the axial length of the main protective member 31 is longer than the axial length of one of the end protective members 32.

The main protective member 31 is positioned in the axial center of the harness exterior material 10c. The main protective member 31 is sandwiched between two winding members 20 in the axial direction. The main protective member 31 and the winding members 20 are bonded together in the same manner as in the above embodiment. The axial length of the main protective member 31 is longer than the axial length of one end protective member 32. The main protective member 31 protects the axial center and its vicinity of the wire harness 50.

The two end protection members 32 are arranged at two locations on opposite sides of the main protection member 31 in the axial direction, sandwiching the winding member 20. Therefore, the end protection members 32 are located at the axial ends of the harness exterior material 10c. The end protection members 32 and the winding member 20 are bonded together in the same manner as in the above embodiment. The end protection members 32 protect the axial ends of the wire harness 50 and their vicinity.

The main protective member 31 and the end protective member 32 are adhered to the winding member 20. Therefore, when the warp of the winding member 20 is eliminated and a winding force is generated, the main protective member 31 and the end protective member 32 also wrap around the wire harness 50.

The end protection member 32 also has the following function. Specifically, the winding member 20 may be harder than the protection member 30. In this case, when a bending force is applied to the wire harness 50, the end face of the winding member 20 may come into contact with the wire harness 50, potentially damaging the wire harness 50. In this regard, in the second modified example, the end protection member 32 is located at the axial end of the harness exterior material 10c. Therefore, even when a bending force is applied to the wire harness 50, the wire harness 50 is less likely to be damaged.

Next, a third modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing how the harness exterior material 10d is secured to the wire harness 50 by wrapping and tightening the string 40.

In the third modified example, the harness exterior material 10d is firmly attached to the wire harness 50 using a string 40. Specifically, the harness exterior material 10d of the third modified example includes a string 40, a tip portion 41, and a string holding portion 42.

One end of the string 40 is attached to the protective member 30. Specifically, one end of the string 40 is attached to the surface of the protective member 30 that will be on the outside after being wrapped around the wire harness 50. There are various attachment methods, such as gluing with an adhesive, taping, or sewing. As shown in FIG. 5, by wrapping the harness exterior material 10d around the wire harness 50, the string 40 is positioned on the outer surface. For example, a worker can hold the string 40 by hand and rotate the harness exterior material 10d to wrap and tighten the string 40 around the harness exterior material 10d (specifically, the protective member 30). Note that if there is a large gap between the wire harness 50 and the clamp member 62, the worker may reach into this gap to wrap and tighten the string 40.

A tip portion 41 is formed at the other end of the string 40. The tip portion 41 is larger in size than the other portions of the string 40. The tip portion 41 may be configured to have a separate member attached to it, or may be a knot created using the string 40.

The string holding portion 42 is attached to the protective member 30. Specifically, the string holding portion 42 is attached to the surface of the protective member 30 that will be on the outside after being wrapped around the wire harness 50. The string holding portion 42 is attached, for example, by adhesive or sewing. As shown in FIG. 5 , by wrapping the harness exterior material 10d around the wire harness 50, the string holding portion 42 is positioned on the outer surface. After wrapping the string 40 around the harness exterior material 10d, the worker holds the tip portion 41 in the string holding portion 42. The string holding portion 42 is a disc-shaped portion formed to protrude from the protective member 30. After wrapping the string 40 around the outer peripheral surface of the string holding portion 42, the worker holds the string 40 in the string holding portion 42 by, for example, hooking the tip portion 41 onto the string 40.

The configuration of the string holding portion 42 in the third modified example is one example, and can be modified, for example, as follows. The string holding portion 42 may have a T-shaped cross section instead of a disk shape. Specifically, it may have a shape in which a large-diameter disk is formed on top of a small-diameter cylinder. In this case, a gap is formed between the large-diameter disk and the protective member 30, and the string 40 can be held by wrapping it around or sandwiching it in this gap. Furthermore, this T-shaped cross section of the string holding portion 42 may have a small-diameter cylinder that penetrates the protective member 30. In this case, the small-diameter cylinder can be held from the back side.

In addition, in the third modified example, one end of the string 40 is attached to the protective member 30, but one end of the string 40 may also be attached to the string holding portion 42. Furthermore, the string holding portion 42 does not have to be separate from the protective member 30, and may be formed using a part of the protective member 30. For example, the string holding portion 42 can be formed by making a rectangular or T-shaped cut in the protective member 30 and peeling it off.

Next, a fourth modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing how the harness exterior material 10e is secured to the wire harness 50 by pulling the string 40.

The fourth variant differs from the third variant in that the string 40 is sewn to the protective member 30. Specifically, the string 40 is sewn with a straight stitch so that it appears alternately on the front and back surfaces of the protective member 30. The other end of the string 40 is fixed to the protective member 30, as in the third variant. However, the middle portion of the string 40 simply passes through the protective member 30 and is not fixed to the protective member 30.

As shown in Figure 6, by pulling the string 40 while fixing the protective member 30, wrinkles form in the protective member 30, reducing its diameter, and as a result, the harness exterior material 10e can be tightly attached to the wire harness 50. In particular, the string 40 in the fourth modified example is positioned in a portion that includes the inside of the protective member 30, and is unlikely to come off or become displaced from the protective member 30. This allows the harness exterior material to be firmly attached to the wire harness. Furthermore, compared to the method of wrapping the string 40, this method reduces the amount of work required by the worker.

As described above, the harness exterior materials 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e of this embodiment protect the wire harness 50. The harness exterior material includes a wrapping member 20. The wrapping member 20 is a sheet-like member that has a tendency to curl, and maintains its unfolded state by warping it, and changes to a wrapped state by unwinding it. The wrapping force of the wrapping member 20 causes the harness exterior material to be wrapped around the wire harness 50.

This method requires less space, is easier to perform, and can be completed in a shorter time than the method of protecting the wire harness 50 by wrapping it with tape.

The harness exterior materials 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e of this embodiment include a flexible, sheet-like protective member 30. The protective member 30 is attached to the end of the winding member 20. The protective member 30 is wrapped around the wire harness 50 by the winding force of the winding member 20.

While the winding member 20 is limited to materials that tend to curl, the protective member 30 can be made from a variety of flexible materials. Therefore, the wire harness 50 can be protected using a protective member 30 with the required protective performance.

In the harness exterior materials 10a, 10c, 10d, and 10e of this embodiment, the winding members 20 are attached to both ends of the protective member 30.

The protective member 30 is less likely to peel off from the wire harness 50 after being wrapped around the wire harness 50.

In the harness exterior material 10c of this embodiment, the protective member 30 includes a main protective member 31 and an end protective member 32. The main protective member 31 is positioned between the two winding members 20 in the winding axial direction. The end protective member 32 is positioned on the opposite side of the main protective member 31, sandwiching the winding member 20 in the winding axial direction.

The end protection member 32 is placed at the end of the harness exterior material 10c, preventing contact between the winding member 20 and the wire harness 50. This makes the wire harness 50 less susceptible to damage.

The harness exterior material 10d of this embodiment includes a string 40 and a string holding portion 42. The string 40 is attached to the protective member 30 and tightens the protective member 30 after the protective member 30 is wrapped around the wire harness 50. The string holding portion 42 is attached to the protective member 30 and holds the string 40.

The harness exterior material 10d can be firmly attached to the wire harness 50.

In the harness exterior material 10e of this embodiment, the strings 40 are attached to the protective member 30 so that they appear alternately on the front and back surfaces of the protective member 30, and by pulling the strings 40, the protective member 30 is wrapped and tightened.

The harness exterior material 10e can be firmly attached to the wire harness 50 with a simple process. Furthermore, the string 40 is less likely to come off the protective member 30.

The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the above configuration can be modified, for example, as follows:

In the above embodiment, the winding member 20 is attached to both axial ends of the protective member 30, but the winding member 20 may be attached to only one axial end of the protective member 30.

In the above embodiment, the harness exterior material 10a is inserted into the gap between the vehicle body panel 61 and the wire harness 50 and pressed upward. Alternatively, however, the harness exterior material 10a may be attached to the wire harness 50 as follows. That is, the harness exterior material 10a is positioned on the top surface of the wire harness 50 with the convex shape of the wrapping member 20 facing downward, and the harness exterior material 10a is pressed down, thereby wrapping the harness exterior material 10a around the wire harness 50.

In the above embodiment, an example of applying the present invention to a wire harness 50 attached to a body panel 61 of an automobile is shown, but the present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which the wire harness 50 is attached to another object.

10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e Harness outer covering material 20 Winding member 30 Protective member 31 Main protective member 32 End protective member 50 Wire harness 61 Vehicle body panel 62 Clamp member

Claims (5)

In harness exterior materials that protect wire harnesses,
a wound member that is a sheet-like member with a tendency to curl, which maintains its unwrapped state by curling and changes to a wound state by uncurling ;
a flexible sheet-like protective member attached to an end of the winding member;
A string attached to the protective member;
a string holding portion attached to the protective member and holding the string;
Equipped with
The winding force of the winding member causes the winding member and the protection member to be wound around the wire harness,
The harness exterior material is characterized in that the string is used to wrap and tighten the protective member after the protective member is wrapped around the wire harness . The harness exterior material according to claim 1 ,
The harness exterior material is characterized in that the wrapping member is attached to both ends of the protective member. The harness exterior material according to claim 2 ,
The protective member is
a main protective member disposed at a position sandwiched between the two winding members in the winding axial direction;
an end protection member disposed on the opposite side of the main protection member across the winding member in the winding axial direction;
A harness exterior material comprising: The harness exterior material according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The string is attached to the protective member so that it appears alternately on the front and back surfaces of the protective member, and the string wraps around and tightens the protective member when pulled. In a mounting method for mounting a harness exterior material on the outer periphery of a wire harness,
The harness exterior material is
a wound member that is a sheet-like member with a tendency to curl, which maintains its unwrapped state by curling and changes to a wound state by uncurling;
a flexible sheet-like protective member attached to an end of the winding member;
A string attached to the protective member;
a string holding portion attached to the protective member and holding the string;
Equipped with
The harness exterior material is pressed against the wire harness to eliminate the warp of the winding member, thereby winding the winding member and the protective member around the wire harness by the winding force of the winding member;
The method for attaching the wire harness includes wrapping the protective member around the wire harness and then tightening the protective member with the string .