Wire harness and method for manufacturing wire harness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9793031-B2
Application number	US-201715498917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Oct 29, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 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 plurality of 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 plurality of 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 plurality of electric wires with the engaging portion, and
the fixing member including:
a band to be wound around an outer periphery of the plurality of electric wires; and
a buckle that receives the band inserted therein,

wherein the fixing member is attached to the plurality of electric wires by bundling the plurality of electric wires with the band and the buckle,
wherein the engaging portion is configured as a through hole capable of receiving a distal portion of the band that is inserted through the buckle and protrudes from the buckle,
wherein a locking pawl engageable with the band is provided within the through hole,
wherein the distal portion of the band is the protector-attached portion, and
wherein the engaging portion receives only a protruded portion from the buckle of the band.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein
the protector comprises a U-like cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires,
the engaging portion is provided in a bottom surface of the U-like cross-sectional shape of the protector, and
the engaging portion is provided only at one side of the plurality of electric wires when seen in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires.

3. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein
the protector comprises a U-like cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires,
the engaging portion is provided in a bottom surface of the U-like shape of the protector, and
the protector comprises a notch formed in at least either one of the opposite side walls of the U-like cross-sectional shape, the notch being provided near the engaging portion.

4. The wire harness according to claim 3 , wherein
the protector comprises a U-like cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires,
the engaging portion is provided in a bottom surface of the U-like cross-sectional shape of the protector, and
the engaging portion is provided only at one side of the plurality of electric wires when seen in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires.

5. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein
the protector includes a protective wall that is provided so as to surround an edge portion of the engaging portion configured as the through hole.

6. The wire harness according to claim 5 , wherein
the protector comprises a U-like cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires,
the engaging portion is provided in a bottom surface of the U-like cross-sectional shape of the protector, and
the protector comprises a notch formed in at least either one of the opposite side walls of the U-like cross-sectional shape, the notch being provided near the engaging portion.

7. The wire harness according to claim 5 , wherein
the protector comprises a U-like cross-sectional shape in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires,
the engaging portion is provided in a bottom surface of the U-like cross-sectional shape of the protector, and
the engaging portion is provided only at one side of the plurality of electric wires when seen in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of electric wires.

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

9. The wire harness according to claim 8 , wherein
the protector includes a corrugated pipe engaging portion that is engageable with corrugation formed in an outer periphery of the corrugated pipe.

10. 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.

11. A method for manufacturing a wire harness, the 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 protector including an engaging portion engageable with the protector-attached portion, and positions of the plurality of 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 plurality of electric wires with the engaging portion, and
the fixing member including 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 method comprising:
a bundling step of bundling, at a 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,
the bundling step including bundling the plurality of electric wires with the band and the buckle to attach the fixing member to the plurality of electric wires, and
the engaging portion being configured as a through hole capable of receiving a distal portion of the band that is inserted through the buckle and protrudes from the buckle, the locking pawl being engageable with the band and provided within the through hole, the distal portion of the band being the protector-attached portion, and the engaging portion receiving only a protruded portion from the buckle of the band.

12. The method for manufacturing the wire harness according to claim 11 , 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 predetermined position, bundled by the bundling portion of the fixing member.

13. The method for manufacturing the wire harness according to claim 12 , 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.

14. The method for manufacturing the wire harness according to claim 13 , wherein
the workbench at least includes:
a connector holding jig that holds a connector in a 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.

15. The method for manufacturing the wire harness

Assignees

• Furukawa Electric Co Ltd
• Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sakaki Naoya
• Tominaga Michihiko

Classifications

• B60R16/0207 Primary

  Wire harnesses · CPC title

• H01B13/004

  for manufacturing rigid-tube cables · CPC title

• H01B7/0045

  Cable-harnesses · CPC title

• H01B13/012

  for manufacturing wire harnesses · CPC title

• H01B7/16 Primary

  Rigid-tube cables · CPC title