Method of manufacturing wire harness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11915841-B2
Application number	US-202217579201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2022
Priority date	Feb 15, 2021
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a wire harness having an electric wire and a protection tube covering, one end side of the electric wire being provided with a large-dimension portion greater than an inner dimension of the protection tube, including shaping the electric wire protection tube made of shape-memory polymer into a tube shape; expanding the protection tube by heating to a temperature equal to or higher than a glass-transition point such that the inner dimension of the protection tube becomes larger than the large-dimension portion; cooling the protection tube to a temperature below the glass-transition point and solidifying the protection tube; passing the large-dimension portion and the electric wire inside the protection tube; and reheating the electric wire protection tube to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass-transition point such that the electric wire protection tube is restored to the inner dimension obtained after the step of shaping.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a wire harness that includes an electric wire and an electric wire protection tube covering the electric wire, one end side of the electric wire being provided with a large-dimension portion having a dimension larger than an inner dimension of the electric wire protection tube,
the method comprising mounting the electric wire protection tube on the electric wire via steps, performed in a sequence set forth, of:
providing a shape-memory polymer having shape-memory properties;
shaping the shape-memory polymer having said shape-memory properties into a tube shape to form the electric wire protection tube;
expanding the electric wire protection tube which is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a glass-transition point such that the inner dimension of the electric wire protection tube becomes larger than the dimension of the large-dimension portion;
while the electric wire protection tube is in an expanded state, cooling the electric wire protection tube to a temperature below the glass-transition point and solidifying the electric wire protection tube;
mounting the electric wire protection tube on the electric wire by passing the large-dimension portion and the electric wire inside the electric wire protection tube; and
reheating the electric wire protection tube to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass-transition point such that the electric wire protection tube is restored to the inner dimension obtained after the step of shaping.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
in the step of expanding, the electric wire protection tube is expanded by blowing compressed air in the electric wire protection tube.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
in the step of expanding, an expander is inserted into the electric wire protection tube, and the expander is moved to expand the electric wire protection tube.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Kiyota Hirotaka
• Kiuchi Masaru

Classifications

• H01B13/01263 Primary

  Tying, wrapping, binding, lacing, strapping or sheathing harnesses · CPC title

• H01B7/0045

  Cable-harnesses · CPC title

• H01B13/227

  Pretreatment · CPC title

• H02G3/0462

  Tubings, i.e. having a closed section · CPC title

• B60R16/0215

  Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor · CPC title