Wire harness and method for inserting electrical conductive paths through wire harness

A wire harness includes electrical wires and an outer covering member. The outer covering member includes tube portions different in cross-sectional shape and size and a guiding shape portion between adjacent tube portions. The guiding shape portion guides the electrical wires when inserted. A cap is provided to each one end of the electrical wires, and the electrical wires are passed through the guiding shape portion with the caps facing frontward. A wire harness and a method for inserting electric conductive paths through the wire harness can enhance workability related to the electrical conductive paths and an outer covering member while suiting the wire harness to the shapes and the usage environments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wire harness including electrical conductive paths and an outer covering member as components. The present invention also relates to a method for inserting electrical conductive paths through a wire harness.

2. Description of the Related Art

Examples of a conventional wire harness include a wire harness that electrically interconnects high-voltage devices installed in a hybrid vehicle or an electrical vehicle.

A wire harness disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-224156 is composed by including three high-voltage electrical wires and three outer covering members used for separately accommodating and protecting these three high-voltage electrical wires. Each outer covering member is a metal pipe having a circular cross-section. After the high-voltage electrical wire is inserted through the outer covering member, the outer covering member undergoes a bending process so as to be suited to the shapes of places in which the wire harness is routed. The number of times the bending process is performed equals to the number of outer covering members.

A wire harness disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-66825 is composed by including three high-voltage electrical wires and one outer covering member used for collectively accommodating and protecting these three high-voltage electrical wires. The outer covering member is a metal bellows pipe, and the three high-voltage electrical wires are inserted through this single outer covering member. After the insertion, the outer covering member undergoes a bending process so as to be suited to the shapes of places in which the wire harness is routed.

As the outer covering member, a member being rather large and having a circular cross-section is used so as to allow the three high-voltage electrical wires to be collectively inserted. The outer covering member is formed in the same cross-sectional shape continuously from one end thereof to the other end thereof.

In the case of the wire harness disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-224156, three high-voltage electrical wires have to be separately housed into the respective outer covering members, and this makes the work very laborious. In consideration of this inconvenience, an outer covering member through which three high-voltage electrical wires can be collectively inserted, such as the one of the wire harness disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-66825, seems effective. However, such an outer covering member may potentially bring the following inconvenience, for example, when it is necessary to route the wire harness on a vehicle floor underside. That is, the outer covering member has a circular cross-section and is rather large, the distance thereof from the ground surface is not sufficient, and therefore may potentially bring an inconvenience that the outer covering member is damaged or broken by a flying stone or at a time of riding on a curbstone.

Adding variations to the cross-sectional shape or the like of the outer covering member according to the shapes of places in which the wire harness is routed and the usage environments may be considered as a resolution to the foregoing inconvenience. However, this resolution inevitably makes it necessary to prepare and selectively use outer covering members of a plurality of kinds, and brings another inconvenience that processes such as a fixation process thereof to high-voltage electrical wires are additionally involved, undesirably resulting in an inconvenience of reduced workability. Furthermore, it is likely that inserting three high-voltage electrical wires is difficult or jamming of an electrical wire occurs in a location where different cross-sectional shapes meet each other, and the inconvenience of reduced workability is brought also when that occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing situation, and is directed to providing a wire harness and a method for inserting electrical conductive paths through a wire harness that can enhance workability related to the electric conductive paths and an outer covering member while suiting the wire harness to the shapes of places in which the wire harness is routed and the usage environments.

To achieve the above-described objective, a wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of electrical conductive paths; and an outer covering member configured to have the electrical conductive paths inserted therethrough and protect the electrical conductive paths, wherein the outer covering member includes, along an axial direction thereof, tube portions of a plurality of kinds different from each other in cross-sectional shape and/or size and a guiding shape portion between adjacent tube portions out of the tube portions of the plurality of kinds, the guiding shape portion serving as a portion that guides the electrical conductive paths at a time the electrical conductive paths are inserted, and the guiding shape portion is formed so that a shape thereof gradually changes from one to the other of the adjacent tube portions and configured to guide each of the electrical conductive paths individually.

According to another aspect of the present invention, in the wire harness, it is preferable that the guiding shape portion is formed so as to change an array of the electrical conductive paths from the one to the other of the adjacent tube portions.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the wire harness, it is preferable that the guiding shape portion is formed so as to be able to guide the electrical conductive paths regardless of whether a guiding is from the one to the other or from the other to the one of the adjacent tube portions.

To achieve the above-described objective, a method for inserting electrical conductive paths through a wire harness according to still another aspect of the present invention includes providing a cap to each one end of a plurality of electrical conductive paths of a wire harness, the wire harness including an outer covering member configured to have the electrical conductive paths inserted therethrough and protect the electrical conductive paths, the outer covering member including, along an axial direction thereof, tube portions of a plurality of kinds different from each other in cross-sectional shape and/or size and a guiding shape portion between adjacent tube portions out of the tube portions of the plurality of kinds, the guiding shape portion serving as a portion that guides the electrical conductive paths at a time the electrical conductive paths are inserted, and the guiding shape portion is formed so that a shape thereof gradually changes from one to the other of the adjacent tube portions and configured to guide each of the electrical conductive paths individually; and passing the electrical conductive paths through the guiding shape portion with one side thereof that has the caps facing frontward at the time the electrical conductive paths are inserted through the outer covering member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A wire harness is composed by including electrical conductive paths and an outer covering member. The outer covering member includes, along the axial direction thereof, tube portions of a plurality of kinds different from each other in cross-sectional shape and/or size. The outer covering member further includes a guiding shape portion between adjacent tube portions out of the tube portions of the plurality of kinds. A guiding shape portion is provided as a portion that guides the electrical conductive paths at a time the electrical conductive paths are inserted. A guiding shape portion is provided together with the tube portions of the plurality of kinds. When the electrical conductive paths are inserted through the outer covering member, a cap is provided to each one end of the electrical conductive paths, the electrical conductive paths are passed through the guiding shape portion with one side thereof that has the caps facing frontward.

First Embodiment

First Embodiment is described below with reference to the drawings.FIG. 1Ais a view illustrating a routed wire harness, andFIG. 1Bis an enlarged view of a main part of the wire harness.FIG. 2Ais a view of the composition of the wire harness,FIG. 2Bis a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A line inFIG. 2A, andFIG. 2Cis a cross-sectional view taken along the B-B line inFIG. 2A.FIG. 3Ais a view illustrating the entirety of a guiding shape portion,FIG. 3Bis a view illustrating a section of a central portion of the guiding shape portion,FIG. 3Cis a view illustrating a section in one side nearer to a tube portion thanFIG. 3B, andFIG. 3Dis a view illustrating a section at the boundary portion between the guiding shape portion and the tube portion. Furthermore,FIG. 4is a view relating to a method of inserting electrical conductive paths according to the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a wire harness to be routed in a hybrid vehicle (which may be an electrical vehicle or a general vehicle).

InFIG. 1A, reference sign1indicates a hybrid vehicle. A hybrid vehicle1is a vehicle to be driven with mixed power from two sources, which are an engine2and a motor unit3. To the motor unit3, power is supplied from a battery5(a battery pack) via an inverter unit4. The engine2, the motor unit3, and the inverter unit4are installed in an engine room6located in a position in which the front wheels are provided in the present embodiment. The battery5is installed in a vehicle rear part7in which the rear wheels are provided (but may be alternatively installed in a vehicle interior behind the engine room6).

The motor unit3and the inverter unit4are interconnected via a high-voltage wire harness8. The battery5and the inverter unit4are also interconnected via a high-voltage wire harness9. An intermediate portion10of the wire harness9is routed in a vehicle floor underside11. Here, the vehicle floor underside11is routed along and substantially in parallel to the vehicle floor underside11. The vehicle floor underside11is a well-known body and what is called a panel member, and has a through-hole in a certain position. The wire harness9is inserted in a watertight manner through this through-hole.

The wire harness9and the battery5are connected via a junction block12, which is provided to this battery5. A rear end13of the wire harness9is electrically connected to the junction block12by a well-known method. A front end14side of the wire harness9is electrically connected to the inverter unit4by a well-known method.

The motor unit3includes a motor and a generator as components. Likewise, the inverter unit4includes an inverter and a converter as components. The motor unit3herein is constructed as a motor assembly that includes a shield case. Likewise, the inverter unit4herein is constructed as an inverter assembly that includes a shield case. The battery5is a Ni-MH based or Li-ion based battery, and has a modularized structure. Here, a storage apparatus such as a capacitor may be usable. The battery5is not particularly limited as long as it is usable in the hybrid vehicle1or an electrical vehicle.

InFIG. 1B,FIG. 2A,FIG. 2B, andFIG. 2C, the wire harness9according to the present invention is composed by including three electrical wires15(electrical conductive paths), an outer covering member16accommodating and protecting these electrical wires15, device connecting members (for example, connectors or the like) (not illustrated) provided at terminals of the electrical wires15, and a plurality of fixation members (for example, clamps or the like) and waterproof members (for example, grommets or the like) (not illustrated) attached to an outer surface of the outer covering member16.

The number of electrical wires15is not limited to three as in the foregoing case but may be any number more than one. The electrical wires15may be a plurality of high-voltage electrical wires (for high-voltage power), a plurality of low-voltage electrical wires (for low-voltage power), or a plurality of high-voltage and low-voltage electrical wires. In the present embodiment, the electrical wires15are illustrated as those having the same diameter for the convenience of explanation.

InFIG. 2A,FIG. 2B, andFIG. 2C, as the electrical wires15, three electrical wires are provided as in the foregoing case, and well-known electrical wires are used (however, the number thereof is not limited to three and may be two or more than three). Each of the electrical wires15is composed by including a conductor17and an insulator18covering this conductor17. The electrical wire15is formed in a length necessary for electrical connection. The electrical wire15is formed in a long length because the wire harness9electrically interconnects the inverter unit4and the battery5(the junction block12) (refer toFIG. 1A). The electrical wires15here include high-voltage and low-voltage electrical wires together.

For example, the conductor17for the electrical wire15for high-voltage power is made of copper or a copper alloy, or aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The conductor17may have either a conductor structure obtained by twisting together elemental strands or a rod-like conductor structure having a rectangular or circular cross-section (which is, for example, a rectangular single-core or circular single-core conductor structure, and in this case, the electrical wire is also rod-like). Any rigidity of the conductor17is allowable as long as the rigidity does not affect workability of insertion at a guiding shape portion21to be described later. The conductor17as described so far has the insulator18formed by extrusion molding on the outer surface thereof. The insulator18is made of an insulative resin material.

It is preferable that each of the electrical wires15is a shield electrical wire that includes a shield member in or outside of this composition, thereby having an electromagnetic shield measure taken therefor (this is not applicable when the outer covering member16is provided with a shield function). Here, a description of the electrical wire15for low-voltage power is omitted.

The outer covering member16is a tubular body made of resin covering the three electrical wires15, and is formed in a length necessary for insertion and accommodation of the electrical wires15and in a thickness necessary for protection thereof. The outer covering member16in the present embodiment is formed in a long length. The outer covering member16is not limited to being made of resin as in the foregoing case, and may be made of metal or a combined member partially being resin and partially being metal.

The outer covering member16has tube portions19and20of a plurality of kinds and the guiding shape portion21, which characterizes the present invention. The outer covering member16is formed in, for example, illustrated shapes. The tube portions19and20of the different kinds and the guiding shape portion21may be formed as one body or as separate bodies. The numbers or the like of tube portions19and20of the different kinds and guiding shape portions21is set as appropriate. The tube portions19and20of the different kinds and the guiding shape portion21are set and formed as appropriate so as to be suited to the shapes of places in which the wire harness9is routed and the usage environments.

When the tube portions19and20of the different kinds and the guiding shape portion21are formed as one body, workability related to production of the wire harness9is obviously more favorable because there is no parting section and because a process for fixing them to the electrical wires15is unnecessary.

The tube portions19and20are tubular portions that are different in either cross-sectional shape or size or in both. The tube portions19and20are formed so as to be disposed in a side-by-side array along the axial direction of the outer covering member16. In the present embodiment, the tube portion19having an oval cross-section and the tube portion20having a circular cross-section are included. The tube portion19having an oval cross-section is formed as a portion routed along and substantially in parallel to the vehicle floor underside11. The tube portion20having a circular cross-section is formed as a portion extending to the neighborhood of the battery5. Another tube portion20having a circular cross-section is formed as a portion extending to the neighborhood of the inverter unit4, separately from the foregoing tube portion20. That is, in the present embodiment, the outer covering member16is formed so as to include two tube portions20each having a circular cross-section.

The tube portion19having an oval cross-section is described here a little further in detail. The tube portion19is formed so as to be able to accommodate the three electrical wires15that are arrayed laterally in a line. In the present embodiment, the cross-section thereof takes an oval shape but may take another shape such as an elliptical shape or a rectangular shape, for example. The tube portion19is formed in a bellows pipe shape and has flexibility, but is not particularly limited to this example (is not limited to being flexible but may be contrarily provided with rigidity, and is not limited to being formed in a bellows pipe shape).

The tube portions20each having a circular cross-section is described here a little further in detail. Each of the tube portion20is formed so as to be able to accommodate the three electrical wires15that are arrayed substantially in the same manner as a stack of rice bales. In the present embodiment, the cross-section thereof takes a circular shape but may take another shape such as a square shape, for example. The tube portion20is formed in a bellows pipe shape and has flexibility, but is not particularly limited to this example (is not limited to being flexible but may be contrarily provided with rigidity, and is not limited to being formed in a bellows pipe shape).

The dimension C of the tube portion19is smaller than the dimension D of the tube portion20because, while the tube portion19has an oval cross-section, the tube portion20has a circular cross-section. It is therefore advantageous to use the tube portion19having an oval cross-section as a portion that is routed on the vehicle floor underside11as described above (which brings an effect of making it possible to prevent the tube portion19from being damaged or broken by virtue of a sufficient distance thereof from the ground surface, for example, at the time of having a flying stone around or of riding on a curbstone; and an effect of enabling reduction in height of the tube portion).

The guiding shape portion21is formed so as to be disposed between adjacent tube portions out of the tube portions19and20as a guiding portion for guiding the electrical wires15when the electrical wires15are inserted. The guiding shape portion21is formed so that the shape thereof gradually changes from the tube portion19toward the tube portion20(from the tube portion20toward the tube portion19). In other words, the guiding shape portion21is formed so that the shape thereof can change gradually. Furthermore, the guiding shape portion21is formed in a gradually changing shape so as not to have the electrical wires15caught by an irregularity when being inserted. The guiding shape portion21such as this one is formed so as to be able to change an array of the electrical wires15.

Here, how the guiding shape portion21changes an array of the electrical wires15is described. InFIG. 2A,FIG. 2B,FIG. 2C,FIG. 3A,FIG. 3B,FIG. 3C, andFIG. 3D, the three electrical wires15arrayed laterally in a line are accommodated in the tube portion19having an oval cross-section. In contrast, the three electrical wires15arrayed substantially in the same manner as a stack of rice bales are accommodated in the tube portion20having a circular cross-section. The guiding shape portion21correspondingly changes the array of the three electrical wires15.

As can be seen from the shape illustrated inFIG. 3A,FIG. 3B,FIG. 3C, andFIG. 3D, the guiding shape portion21in the present embodiment is formed in a shape that can guide each of the electrical wires15individually. Therefore, the present embodiment has an effect of enabling the electrical wires15to be smoothly inserted without being caught by an irregularity even when the adjacent tube portions19and20have different cross-sectional shapes.

Insertion of the electrical wires15may be permitted, as indicated by the arrows inFIG. 4, both from the tube portion19toward the tube portion20and from the tube portion20toward the tube portion19. Additionally, when attachable and detachable caps22are attached to the front ends of the respective electrical wires15and are used to pass the electrical wires15through the guiding shape portion21, the present embodiment further has an effect of more reliably enabling the electrical wires15to be smoothly inserted. Each of the caps22preferably is a cap the surface of which has low frictional resistance and which can be repetitively used. Each of the caps22in the present embodiment is formed in a smooth surface and in an ammunition shape and is repetitively usable in insertion work.

As described above with reference toFIG. 1toFIG. 4, the wire harness9includes the outer covering member16including the tube portions19and20of a plurality of kinds in the axial direction thereof, thereby having an effect of enabling the wire harness9itself to be suited to the shapes of places (such as the vehicle floor underside11) in which the wire harness9is routed and the usage environments.

The wire harness9not only includes the outer covering member16composed of the tube portions19and20of a plurality of kinds but also includes the guiding shape portion21, thereby having an effect of enabling the three electrical wires15to be smoothly inserted without jamming of an electrical wire when being inserted through the outer covering member16.

In more detail, the wire harness9has the guiding shape portion21formed so that the shape thereof can gradually change, thereby having an effect of enabling the electrical wires15(electrical conductive paths) to be less likely caught by an irregularity. Consequently, the wire harness9has an effect of enabling the electrical wires15to be smoothly inserted without jamming halfway.

Consequently, the wire harness9has the guiding shape portion21formed so as to be able to change an array of the electrical wires15(electrical conductive paths), thereby having an effect of enabling the electrical wires15to be smoothly inserted without jamming halfway even when the tube portions19and20having cross-sectional shapes different from each other are used in combination.

Furthermore, the wire harness9has the guiding shape portion21formed so as to be unaffected by the insertion direction, thereby having an effect of enabling production thereof to be performed with favorable workability.

The present embodiment thus has an effect on the wire harness9itself that the wire harness9can be favorably routed in places including the vehicle floor underside11, and also has an effect on the production of the wire harness9that the production can be performed with favorable workability.

Second Embodiment

Second Embodiment is described below with reference to the drawings.FIG. 5is a view illustrating a wire harness as another example.

InFIG. 5, a wire harness31is composed by including at least three electrical wires15(electrical conductive paths), an outer covering member32accommodating and protecting these electrical wires15, shield connectors33(device connecting members) attached to the terminals of the electrical wires15, and a plurality of fixation members (such as clamps, for example) and waterproof members (such as grommets, for example) (which are not illustrated) attached to an outer surface of the outer covering member32. The electrical wires15used in the present embodiment are the same as those used in the First Embodiment.

The outer covering member32is a tubular body made of resin covering at least three electrical wires15, and is formed in a length necessary for insertion and accommodation of the electrical wires15and in a thickness necessary for protection thereof. The outer covering member32in the present embodiment is formed so as to be basically the same as the outer covering member in the First Embodiment.

The outer covering member32has tube portions34to37of a plurality of kinds and guiding shape portions38and39, and is formed in, for example, illustrated shapes. The tube portions34to37of a plurality of kinds and the guiding shape portions38and39are formed so as to be disposed in a side-by-side array along the axial direction of the outer covering member32. In the present embodiment, the outer covering member32is formed as one body. The tube portions34to37of the different kinds and the guiding shape portions38and39are set and formed as appropriate so as to be suited to the shapes of places in which the wire harness31is routed and the usage environments.

The tube portion34has a bellows pipe shape having flexibility and is formed in a circular cross-section. The tube portions34are formed on both one and the other end sides of the outer covering member32. The tube portion35is formed in a circular cross-section while being formed in a straight pipe shape that does not have such flexibility as the tube portion34has. The tube portion35is formed so as to be disposed continuously to the tube portion34on the one end side. The tube portions34and35are formed in the same size.

Regarding the tube portions36and37, the tube portion37is described firstly. The tube portion37is formed as a portion that is routed on the vehicle floor underside11(refer toFIG. 1A) and that has a straight pipe shape. The tube portion37is straightly formed because it has a straight pipe shape. In the present embodiment, the tube portion37as described above is formed in an oval cross-section. Next, the tube portions36are formed and disposed continuously to both one end and the other end of the tube portion37, respectively. Each of the tube portions36has a bellows pipe shape having flexibility and is formed in an oval cross-section. The tube portions36and37are formed in the same size.

The guiding shape portion38is formed and disposed between the tube portion35and the tube portion36, which are different from each other in cross-sectional shape and size. The guiding shape portion38is formed so that the shape thereof gradually changes from the tube portion35toward the tube portion36. In other words, the guiding shape portion38is formed so that the shape thereof gradually change (is formed in a gradually changing shape).

The guiding shape portion39is formed as a portion that functions in the same manner as the guiding shape portion38functions. The guiding shape portion39is formed so as to be disposed between the tube portion34and the tube portion36, which are different in cross-sectional shape and size. The guiding shape portion39is formed so that the shape thereof gradually changes from the tube portion34toward the tube portion36(from the tube portion36toward the tube portion34). In other words, the guiding shape portion39is formed so that the shape thereof can gradually change (is formed in a gently changing shape). The guiding shape portion39herein is formed in a bellows pipe shape in the same manner as the tube portions34and36(a bellows pipe shape is merely one example).

As each of the shield connectors33, a well-known device is used. A detailed description thereof is therefore omitted here. Reference sign40indicates a boot. A description of the boots40is also omitted here.

With the foregoing compositions and structures, the wire harness31is produced in the following manner. That is, the wire harness31is produced by having the electrical wires15inserted from one end to the other end of the outer covering member32including tube portions34to37of a plurality of kinds and the guiding shape portions38and39. While being inserted, the electrical wires15can be smoothly inserted by virtue of the foregoing composition of the outer covering member32. After the electrical wires15are inserted, the wire harness31undergoes processes of attaching such members as grommets to certain positions on the outer surface of the outer covering member32and attaching the shield connectors33and the boots40to the respective terminal portions of the electrical wires15, whereby the production is completed.

The wire harness31has the same effects as the wire harness9in the First Embodiment.

Needless to say, various changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope and the spirit of the present invention.

In a wire harness according to the present invention, an outer covering member is composed so as to include, along the axial direction thereof, tube portions of a plurality of kinds. The wire harness thus has an effect of enabling combination of the tube portions such that the wire harness itself is suited to the shapes of places in which the wire harness is routed and the usage environments. According to the present invention, an outer covering member is composed of tube portions of a plurality of kinds, and a guiding shape portion is further included as a component of the outer covering member. The present invention thus has an effect of, when a plurality of electrical conductive paths are inserted through the outer covering member, for example, enabling the electrical conductive paths to be smoothly inserted without jamming halfway. The present invention thus has an effect on the wire harness itself that a wire harness can be favorably routed in places including a vehicle floor underside, and has an effect on the production of a wire harness that the production can be performed with favorable workability.

In a method for inserting electrical conductive paths through a wire harness according to the present invention, the foregoing outer covering member and electrical conductive paths are used, a cap is provided to each one end of the electrical conductive paths, and the electrical conductive paths are passed through the guiding shape portion with one side thereof that has the caps facing frontward. The method thus has an effect of enabling the electrical conductive paths to be smoothly inserted without jamming halfway.