Abstract:
A striate-body fixation fixture includes a base plate a first side and a second side opposite to each other. The fixture includes a positioning plate included in the base plate for mounting the striate body in position on the first side of the base plate. The fixture includes first and second insertion holes extending through the base plate and opposed to each other with respect to the positioning plate. The fixture includes a guide wall defining at least one of the first and second insertion holes and approaching the other insertion hole for guiding a band to secure the striate body on the fixture as the guide wall extends toward the second side of the base plate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-140820 filed on May 11, 2004; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a striate-body fixation fixture for mainly securing a striate-body, such as wire harness, by use of a band clamp, a wire-harness protector having the fixation plate and a wire-harness fixation clip.  
         [0003]     In general, when it is required to fix a wire harness to any member of a vehicle, a band clamp (otherwise known as “binding band”) is employed as such fixation means (e.g. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-253536).  
         [0004]     For example, in order to fix a wire harness to a fixation plate for a wire-harness protector by use of a band clamp, there are proposed a variety of methods. Note, the fixation plate is provided with two insertion holes. In one method, it is first performed to mount the wire harness on the fixation plate. Next, one end portion of the band clamp is inserted through one insertion hole from the upside of the fixation plate. Subsequently, from the underside of the fixation plate, the end portion of the band clamp is inserted through the other insertion hole upwardly. Then, the end portion passing through the other insertion hole upwardly is wound around the outer circumference of the wire harness to successively engage in a locking hole formed at the base of the band clamp. In this way, the fixture of the wire harness to the fixation plate is completed.  
         [0005]     The fixation plate, however, is an element having insertion holes formed for passage of a band clamp merely, and it is difficult for an operator to insert the band clamp into the insertion hole of the fixation plate from the underside.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In the above-mentioned situation, it is an object of the invention to provide a striate-body fixation fixture facilitating insertion of the end portion of the band clamp, a wire-harness protector and a wire-harness fixing clamp both using such a fixation plate.  
         [0007]     In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the invention provides a striate-body fixation fixture. The fixture includes a base plate having a first side and a second side opposite to each other. The fixture includes a positioning plate included in the base plate for mounting the striate body in position on the first side of the base plate. The fixture includes first and second insertion holes extending through the base plate and opposed to each other with respect to the positioning plate. The fixture includes a guide wall defining at least one of the first and second insertion holes and approaching the other insertion hole for guiding a band to secure the striate body on the fixture as the guide wall extends toward the second side of the base plate.  
         [0008]     The guide wall extends obliquely relative to a thickness direction of the base plate.  
         [0009]     The band is inserted through a first insertion hole from the first side to the second side of the base plate, and is inserted through a second insertion hole from the second side to the first side of the base plate. The band is wounded around the striate body, thereby securing the striate-body to the fixture.  
         [0010]     The guide wall includes first and second guide walls defining the first and second insertion holes, respectively  
         [0011]     The guide wall is curved toward the other insertion hole.  
         [0012]     The positioning plate includes a structure to prevent the striate body from transverse displacement.  
         [0013]     The positioning plate includes a curved wall recessed from the first side of the base plate. The curved wall defines a recess for locating the striate body therein to prevent the striate body from transverse displacement.  
         [0014]     The curved wall has a bottom wall serving as the guide wall.  
         [0015]     At least one of the first and second insertion holes extends obliquely to the thickness direction of the base plate.  
         [0016]     The striate-body includes a wire-harness  
         [0017]     A wire-harness protector includes a wire-harness protective wall formed by the striate-body fixation fixture.  
         [0018]     A wire-harness fixation clip provided, on the striate-body fixation fixture, with a clip for engagement with a panel hole.  
         [0019]     These and other objects and features of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a substantial part heat of a fixation plate in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the substantial part heat of the fixation plate of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0022]      FIGS. 3A  to  3 E are schematic perspective views of fixation plates in various modifications for the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     Referring to accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the invention will be described below.  
         [0024]     In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a fixation plate  20  of the embodiment is applied to one protective wall of a wire-harness protector.  
         [0025]     This fixation plate  20  has first and second sides opposite to each other in a thickness direction H 1  thereof. The fixation plate  20  includes a level part  21  as a base plate. The fixation plate  20  includes a positioning part  27  as a positioning plate arranged inside the level part  21  to mount a wire harness (striate body) W 1  thereon on the first side. The positioning part  27  has, on both sides thereof, two rectangular first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B through the level part  21  in a thickness direction H 1  of the fixation plate  20 . The first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B are separated from each other in a transverse direction of the wire harness W 1 . Additionally, the first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B have, outside thereof, outer sidewalls  21   a,    21   b  extending in the thickness direction H 1 , respectively. In order to fix the wire harness W 1  to the fixation plate  20 , the end portion of a band  11  of a band clamp  10  is first inserted through the first insertion hole  22 A from the upside or the first side. After this insertion, the end portion of the band clamp  10  is inserted through the second insertion hole  22 B from the underside upwardly. Then, the end portion of the band  11  passing through the second insertion hole  22 B is wound around the outer circumference of the wire harness W 1  to successively engage in a locking hole  12   a  of a base  12  of the band clamp  10 . This way secures the wire harness W 1  on the fixation plate  20 .  
         [0026]     The positioning part  27  for mounting the wire harness W 1  includes a curved wall  25  that is recessed downwardly from above view or the first side. The upper recess of the curved wall  25  operates as means  25   a  for preventing the wire harness W 1  from transverse displacement. The curved wall  25  includes, at the bottom on both sides thereof, first and second guide walls  23   a,    23   b  serving as guides for band clamp  10 . These guide walls  23   a,    23   b  constitute the inner sidewalls of the first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B, respectively. The first and second guide walls  23   a,    23   b  are curved toward the second and first insertion holes, respectively as they  23   a,    23   b  extend from the upside or the first side toward the underside or the second. That is, the first and second guide walls  23   a,    23   b  are tangentially oblique to the thickness direction H 1  of the level part  21 . In other words, the first or second guide wall  23   a  or  23   b  is curved to approach the first or second insertion hole  22 B or  22 A as extending from the first side (wire-harness side) of the fixation plate  20  equipped with the wire harness W 1  toward the second side of the fixation plate  20 .  
         [0027]     The feature of the fixation plate  20  provides the first and second guide walls  23   a,    23   b  having curved surfaces, which constitute respective inner sidewalls of two first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B. Note that, if forming a loop by the band  11 , then a side face positioned inside the loop corresponds to the above inner sidewalls of the first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B. During insertion of the end portion of the band  11  through the first insertion hole  22 A (or the second insertion hole  22 B), the first guide wall  23   a  (or the second guide wall  23   b ) operates to guide the insertion of the end portion of the band  11  into the first insertion hole  22 A (or the second insertion hole  22 B). Further, one of the first and second guide walls  23   a,    23   b  operates to guide the inserted band  11  to the other of the first and second guide walls  23   a ,  23   b.    
         [0028]     A method of fixing the wire harness W 1  to the fixation plate  20  will be described below. First of all, with the wire harness W 1  mounted on the curved wall  25 , the end portion of the band  11  of the band clamp  10  is moved along a route shown with arrow Y 1 . In detail, the end portion of the band  11  is first inserted through first insertion hole  22 A from the first side or upside and successively inserted through the second insertion hole  22 B upwardly from the second side or underside. Next, the end portion of the band  11  inserted upwardly through the second insertion hole  22 B is wound around the outer circumference of the wire harness W 1  and further engage in the locking hole  12   a  of the base  12  of the band clamp  10 . This engagement allows the wire harness W 1  to be fixed on the fixation plate  20 .  
         [0029]     As mentioned above, the second insertion hole  22 B is formed with the second guide wall  23   b  with a curved surface as the inner sidewall. During the above-mentioned securing operation of the band clamp  10 , the first guide wall  23   a  has a guide operation that allows the end portion of the band  11  to easily pass through the insertion hole  22 B from the underside or second side to the upside or first side, thus enhancing operator&#39;s workability. Additionally, the wire harness W 1  is mounted on the upper concave part  25   a  of the curved wall  25 , thus preventing the wire harness W 1  from transverse displacement, with the wire harness W 1  stably fixed. The provision of the first guide walls  23   a,    23   b  in the inner sidewalls of the first and second insertion holes  22 A,  22 B allows an operator to easily insert the end portion of the band  11  into either one of the first and second holes  22 A and  22 B from the underside or second side to the upside or first side. In other words, an operator may insert the band  11  into either of the first and second insertion holes  22 A and  22 B at first.  
         [0030]      FIGS. 3A  to  3 D schematically show a variety of fixation plates in modifications of the invention. Note that, throughout the modifications, elements similar to those of  FIG. 1  are indicated with similar reference numerals, respectively.  
         [0031]     In the modification of  FIG. 3A , a fixation plate  20 A includes two first and second insertion holes  22 A 1 ,  22 B 1 . Further, the second insertion hole  22 B 1  is provided, on an inner sidewall thereof, with a second guide wall  23   b   1 . The second guide wall  23   b   1  is formed so as to extend straightly and obliquely to the thickness direction H 1  of a level part  21 A. In detail, the second guide wall  23   b   1  of the second insertion hole  22 B 1  is formed so as to approach the first insertion hole  22 A 1  as extending from the first side (i.e. the wire-harness&#39;s side) to the second side of the level part  21 A.  
         [0032]     In the modification of  FIG. 3B , a fixation plate  20 B includes two first and second insertion holes  22 A 2 ,  22 B 2 . Both of the first and second insertion holes  22 A 2 ,  22 B 2  are provided, on their respective inner sidewalls, with first and second guide walls  23   a   2 ,  23   b   2 , respectively. The first and second guide walls  23   a   2 ,  23   b   2  are formed so as to extend straightly and obliquely to the thickness direction H 1  of a level part  21 B. In detail, the first guide wall  23   a   2  of the first insertion holes  22 A 2  (or the second guide wall  23   b   2  of the second insertion hole  22 B 2 ) is formed so as to approach the second insertion hole  22 B 2  (or first insertion hole  22 A 2 ) as extending from the first side (i.e. the wire-harness&#39;s side) to the second side of the level part  21 B.  
         [0033]     In the modification of  FIG. 3C , a fixation plate  20 C includes two first and second insertion holes  22 A 3 ,  22 B 3 . Both of the first and second insertion holes  22 A 3 ,  22 B 3  are provided, on their respective inner sidewalls, with first and second guide walls  23   a   3 ,  23   b   3  in the form of curved surfaces, respectively. The first guide wall  23   a   3  of the first insertion holes  22 A 3  (or the second guide wall  23   b   3  of the second insertion hole  22 B 3 ) is curved so as to approach the second insertion hole  22 B 3  (or first insertion hole  22 A 3 ) as extending from the first side (i.e. the wire-harness&#39;s side) to the second side of a level part  21 C. The first and second guide walls  23   a   3 ,  23   b   3  are tangentially oblique to the thickness direction H 1  of the level part  21 C.  
         [0034]     In the modification of  FIG. 3D , a fixation plate  20 D is similar to the fixation plate  20  of the above-mentioned embodiment shown in FIGS.  1  and  2 , in the provision of a curved wall  25  for mounting a wire harness W 1  thereon. The fixation plate  20 D includes two first and second insertion holes  22 A 4 ,  22 B 4 . The curved wall  25  of this modification is provided, on both sides of the bottom surface thereof, with first and second guide walls  23   a   4 ,  23   b   4 . The upper concave part  25   a  of the curved wall  25  operates as means for preventing the wire harness W 1  (i.e. a striate body) from transverse displacement.  
         [0035]     In the modification of  FIG. 3E , a fixation plate  20 E includes a positioning part  27 E flush with a level part  21 E. Additionally, the fixation plate  20 E is provided, as the insertion holes, with first and second guide slots  122 A,  122 B oblique to the thickness direction H 1  of the fixation plate  20 E. The inner sidewalls of the first and second guide slots  122 A,  122 B constitute first and second guide walls  23   a   5 ,  23   b   5  extending obliquely to the thickness direction H 1  of the level part  21 E, respectively. The guide walls  21   a   5 ,  21   b   5  as the outer sidewalls of the first and second guide slots  122 A,  122 B extend obliquely to the thickness direction H 1  of the level part  21 E, functioning as guides for the band clamp. The first and second guide walls  23   a   5 ,  21   b   5  (or the guide walls  23   b   5 ,  21   b   5 ) are formed so as to approach the second slot  122 B (or the first slot  122 A) as extending from the first side (i.e. the wire-harness&#39;s side) to the second side of the level part  21 E.  
         [0036]     According to this modification, it is possible to make the positioning part  27 E of the fixation plate  20 E in level with the level part  21 E.  
         [0037]     In the above-mentioned embodiment, the upper concave part  25   a  of the curved wall  25  constitutes means for preventing the wire harness (i.e. the striate body) from transverse displacement. Alternatively, the fixation plate may be provided with the other means for preventing the wire harness from transverse displacement, for example, a plurality of ribs projecting from the fixation plate.  
         [0038]     Additionally, in a further modification, there may be attached, at appropriate positions of the fixation plate  20 , clips for engagement with attaching holes formed in the plate  20 , providing wire-harness fixation clamps.  
         [0039]     In the above description, the adjective terms “upper” and “lower” are nothing but terms expressing one side of the fixation plate for mounting the wire harness W 1  (i.e. an operator&#39;s view side) and the other side of the fixation plate, respectively.  
         [0040]     Finally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing descriptions are nothing but one embodiment and various modification of the disclosed fixation plate and therefore, various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of claims.  
         [0041]     According to the invention, the band is guided by the guide wall to be inserted through at least one of the first and second insertion holes. The guide facilitates insertion of the band, and enhancing workability.  
         [0042]     Location of guide wall in proximity to the positioning plate allows the band to be guided from one of the first and second insertion holes to the other hole.  
         [0043]     The curved guide wall achieves smooth guide operation.  
         [0044]     The structure prevents the striate-body from transverse displacement, thus stably fixing the striate-boy.  
         [0045]     The curved wall of the positioning plate prevents the striate-body from transverse displacement and functions as a guide during insertion of the band, thus achieving stable securing and smooth winding operation of the striate body.  
         [0046]     The oblique insertion hole allows for a level configuration of the base plate and the positioning plate.