Wire harness and method for manufacturing wire harness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9672959-B2
Application number	US-201314439648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2013
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

The invention of the present application provides a wire harness with an improved accuracy of the dimension, that can be manufactured with an easy operation. A protector ( 4 ) defines at least either one of a bending shape and a branching shape of a plurality of electric wires ( 2 ). A cable tie ( 10 ) is attached to the electric wires ( 2 ), and includes a distal portion ( 11 a ) to be attached to the protector ( 4 ). The protector ( 4 ) includes an engaging portion ( 13 ) engageable with the distal portion ( 11 a ). Positions of the electric wires ( 2 ) and the protector ( 4 ) relative to each other are settled by engagement of the distal portion ( 11 a ) of the cable tie ( 10 ) attached to the electric wires ( 2 ) with the engaging portion ( 13 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wire harness comprising:
a plurality of electric wires;
a protector that defines at least either one of a bending shape and a branching shape of the plurality of electric wires; and
a fixing member attached to the electric wires, the fixing member including a protector-attached portion to be attached to the protector;
the protector including an engaging portion engageable with the protector-attached portion,
positions of the electric wires and the protector relative to each other being settled by engagement of the protector-attached portion of the fixing member attached to the electric wires with the engaging portion, wherein
the protector has a U-like cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the electric wires,
the engaging portion is provided in a bottom surface of the U-like shape of the protector, and
the protector has a notch formed in at least either one of opposite side walls of the U-like shape, the notch being provided near the engaging portion.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein
the fixing member includes:
a band to be wound around an outer periphery of the plurality of electric wires; and
a buckle that receives the band inserted therein,

the fixing member is attached to the electric wires by bundling the plurality of electric wires with the band and the buckle.

3. The wire harness according to claim 2 , wherein
the protector-attached portion is positioned only at one side of the electric wires when seen in a longitudinal direction of the electric wires.

4. The wire harness according to claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of protectors; and
a corrugated pipe that is arranged between the plurality of protectors and houses the electric wires therein.

5. The wire harness according to claim 4 , wherein
the protector includes a corrugated pipe engaging portion that is engageable with corrugation formed in an outer periphery of the corrugated pipe.

6. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein
the protector-attached portion and the engaging portion are configured so as not to be engageable with each other when they are arranged in an abnormal manner.

7. A method for manufacturing a wire harness comprising:
a plurality of electric wires;
a protector that defines at least either one of a bending shape and a branching shape of the plurality of electric wires; and
a fixing member including a bundling portion that bundles the plurality of electric wires and a protector-attached portion that is to be attached to the protector,
the method including:
a bundling step of bundling, at a first predetermined position, the plurality of electric wires by the bundling portion, to attach the fixing member to the electric wires; and
a protector mounting step of mounting, to the protector, the protector-attached portion of the fixing member attached to the electric wires,
wherein, in the bundling step, a plurality of bundle units each including a plurality of electric wires are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction, and each of the plurality of bundle units is, at a second predetermined position, bundled by the bundling portion of the fixing member,
wherein, in the bundling step, a workbench including a jig is used, the jig holding each of the plurality of bundle units in such a manner that the plurality of bundle units are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction, and
wherein the workbench at least includes:
a connector holding jig that holds a connector in a third predetermined position, the connector being provided at a terminal of the electric wires included in the bundle unit; and
a bundling position index jig that indicates a position where the fixing member is to be attached to the bundle unit, wherein
in the workbench, the connector holding jig holds a plurality of the connectors arranged in a line, and
the connector holding jig includes a plurality of coupled sub-jigs, each of the sub-jigs holding one or more connectors arranged side by side, the connector holding jig being removable from the workbench.

8. The method for manufacturing the wire harness according to claim 7 , comprising a sub-jig arranging step of, subsequent to completion of the bundling step, removing the connector holding jig holding the connectors therein from the workbench, releasing the coupling of the connector holding jig to divide the connector holding jig into a plurality of the sub-jigs, and arranging the sub-jigs on a protector mounting table, wherein
in the protector mounting step, an operation of mounting the protector is performed in a state where the sub-jigs are arranged on the protector mounting table.

Assignees

• Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
• Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sakaki Naoya
• Tominaga Michihiko

Classifications

• H01B7/16 Primary

  Rigid-tube cables · CPC title

• B60R16/0207 Primary

  Wire harnesses · CPC title

• H01B7/0045

  Cable-harnesses · CPC title

• H01B13/01209 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• H01B13/004

  for manufacturing rigid-tube cables · CPC title