Wire harness and wire harness manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633757-B2
Application number	US-201514957718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A wire harness having a portion of an electrical line group configured to easily housed in a protector without requiring the task of opening an overlapping portion of the protector, and a method for manufacturing said wire harness are provided. The protector includes a shape-memory panel having a shape-memory polymer sheet and noise suppression metal coating films formed on two surfaces thereof and are electrically conductive with each other. The shape-memory polymer sheet is molded in a shape-memory state for covering a portion of the electrical line group in a scroll-like manner, and then opened into a flat plate shape. The portion of the electrical line group is placed on the flat plate-shaped shape-memory panel, and then heated so that the shape-memory panel returns to the shape-memory state and covers the portion of the electrical line group in a scroll-like manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wire harness comprising:
an electrical line group, the electrical line group made up of a plurality of electrical lines; and
a protector that has an overlapping wrapping portion and covers a portion of the electrical line group requiring protection in a scroll-like manner,
wherein the protector is constituted by a shape-memory panel that includes a shape-memory polymer sheet and noise suppression metal coating films that are formed on two surfaces of the shape-memory polymer sheet and are electrically conductive with each other, the shape-memory polymer sheet being molded in a shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner, and then opened into a flat plate shape so as to form a flat plate shape, and the portion of the electrical line group being placed on the flat plate shape of the shape-memory panel, wherein the protector may be heated so that the shape-memory panel returns to the shape-memory state and covers the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the protector is constituted by the shape-memory panel that is molded in the shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner with an inner diameter that constricts the electrical line group, and is then opened into the flat plate shape, the shape-memory panel returning to the shape-memory state due to being heated, so as to cover and constrict the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner.

3. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the overlapping wrapping portion of the shape-memory panel has a circumferential length at least greater than or equal to one-half a circumference of the electrical line group, is molded in the shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner, and is then opened into the flat plate shape, the shape-memory panel returning to the shape-memory state due to being heated, so as to cover the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner.

4. The wire harness according to claim 2 , wherein the overlapping wrapping portion of the shape-memory panel has a circumferential length at least greater than or equal to one-half a circumference of the electrical line group, is molded in the shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner, and is then opened into the flat plate shape, the shape-memory panel returning to the shape-memory state due to being heated, so as to cover the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner.

5. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the shape-memory polymer sheet is formed from a shape-memory polymer that includes polyol and isocyanate and has a glass transition point Tg set to 80° C. or higher.

6. The wire harness according to claim 2 , wherein the shape-memory polymer sheet is formed from a shape-memory polymer that includes polyol and isocyanate and has a glass transition point Tg set to 80° C. or higher.

7. The wire harness according to claim 3 , wherein the shape-memory polymer sheet is formed from a shape-memory polymer that includes polyol and isocyanate and has a glass transition point Tg set to 80° C. or higher.

8. The wire harness according to claim 4 , wherein the shape-memory polymer sheet is formed from a shape-memory polymer that includes polyol and isocyanate and has a glass transition point Tg set to 80° C. or higher.

9. A method for manufacturing a wire harness, comprising the steps of:
providing the wire harness, the wire harness having an electrical line group, the electrical line group made up of a plurality of electrical lines, a protector that has an overlapping wrapping portion and covers a portion of the electrical line group requiring protection in a scroll-like manner, wherein the protector is constituted by a shape-memory panel that includes a shape-memory polymer sheet and noise suppression metal coating films that are formed on two surfaces of the shape-memory polymer sheet and are electrically conductive with each other, the shape-memory polymer sheet being molded in a shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner, and then opened into a flat plate shape so as to form a flat plate shape, and the portion of the electrical line group being placed on the flat plate shape of the shape-memory panel, wherein the protector may be heated so that the shape-memory panel returns to the shape-memory state and covers the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner;
preparing the shape-memory panel opened into the flat plate shape;
placing the portion of the electrical line group on the shape-memory panel; and
providing the protector that covers the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner, by causing the shape-memory panel to return to the shape-memory state by heating the shape-memory panel to a necessary temperature.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the protector is constituted by the shape-memory panel that is molded in the shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner with an inner diameter that constricts the electrical line group, and is then opened into the flat plate shape, the shape-memory panel returning to the shape-memory state due to being heated, so as to cover and constrict the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the overlapping wrapping portion of the shape-memory panel has a circumferential length at least greater than or equal to one-half a circumference of the electrical line group, is molded in the shape-memory state for covering the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner, and is then opened into the flat plate shape, the shape-memory panel returning to the shape-memory state due to being heated, so as to cover the portion of the electrical line group in the scroll-like manner.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the shape-memory polymer sheet is formed from a shape-memory polymer that includes polyol and isocyanate and has a glass transition point Tg set to 80° C. or higher.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems

Inventors

• Wakabayashi Masataka
• Ootsuki Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H01B3/302

  Polyurethanes or polythiourethanes; Polyurea or polythiourea · CPC title

• H01B7/0045 Primary

  Cable-harnesses · CPC title