Use of a wire retainer

Abstract: To provide a wire end retainer capable of retaining and positioning a collected end portion 11 of a wire bundle during a wire arranging operation. A retainer main body 300 for accommodating the collected end portion 11 and an engaging plate 400 slidably fittable into the retainer main body 300 are provided. The retainer main body 300 is formed with an insertion hole 311, and the engaging plate 400 is formed with a tapered hole 430. The holes 310 and 430 communicate with each other inside the retainer main body 300. By pulling the engaging plate 400 after the collected end portion 11 is inserted through the insertion hole 310, the collected end portion 11 is tightly held between opposite faces 431, 432 of the tapered hole 430.

Description: The present invention relates to a use of a wire end retainer for retaining an end portion of a wire bundle, during a wire arranging operation when a wiring harness is assembled. In order to assemble a wiring harness including a multitude of wires, wires are generally put on U-shaped wire supports arranged on a wire arrangement board to be arranged into a specified configuration and to be bundled. At this time, the respective wires may not necessarily be arranged one by one. There is often adopted a process of forming specified sub-assemblies in advance and arranging these sub-assemblies on the wire arrangement board. FIG. 15 shows an end portion of a sub-assembly 1 of a wiring harness. The sub-assembly 1 includes a plurality of ground wires 2. Ends 3 of the respective wires 2 of the sub-assembly 1 are connected by welding or the like during the assembling of the sub-assembly 1 such that they are short-circuited with each other, and an insulation member such as a vinyl cover 4 is fitted on the connected ends 3 using a tape 5. Conventionally, when such a sub-assembly 1 is arranged on the wire arrangement board, the wires 2 are supported by a wire support 6 in a position near the ends 3 as shown in FIG. 15. However, since the wires 2 are merely received by the support 6 as shown in FIG. 15, they cannot be stably supported. This has caused a problem that the wires 2 come off during the wire arranging operation. Further, depending upon the specification of the wiring harness to be assembled, it may be necessary to make an accurate measurement from a leading end 4a of the vinyl cover 4. Such a measurement is necessary, for example, when an accessory such as a clamp is mounted in a position at a specified distance from the leading end 4a. In such a case, the leading end 4a needs to be positioned. However, with the support as shown in FIG. 15, the leading end 4a cannot be accurately positioned. There may also be considered a method for supporting the wires 2 by inserting the wire support 6 into the bundle of the wires 2 as shown in FIG. 16. Even with this method, the wires 2 are still unstably supported. In addition, since the wire arranging operation is performed while pulling the wires 2 in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 16, the position of the leading end 4a is caused to change by the pulling force. As a result, the leading end 4a cannot accurately be positioned. US-A-4 029 277 discloses an apparatus for forming a plurality of elongate objects such as wires into a bundle of circular cross section by holding the elongate objects at an intermediary portion thereof. For this purpose the apparatus comprises a frame being mountable via a base to a panelboard and arms extending from the frame being adapted to receive the oblong objects. US-A-3 839 777 discloses a wire guide assembly comprising a pivotally supported wire bundle retainer which may be positioned on a wire harness board for holding the wire bundle in an intermediate portion thereof. On the wire bundle retainer there are located protrusions or notched portions to provide stop means for establishing the limits of arcuate travel of the wire bundle retainer. However, the known devices do not provide for a holding means capable of holding the end portion of a wire bundle while accurately positioning it on a wire arrangement board, in particular in view of an end processing to be applied to the end portion of the wire bundle. Furthermore, EP-A-0 720 180, which has to be regarded under Art. 54 (3) EPC, discloses a retainer which aligns and retains ends of branch wires and wires to be connected with branch wires by means of a wire retaining portion being formed with cavities, which have a specified depth and into which the wires are individually inserted. It is the object of the invention to provide a new use of a retainer, in particular by improving its operability. This object is fulfilled by a use of a wire retainer for a wire arranging operation in a wiring harness assembling process to retain a collected end portion formed by a cover member fitted on collected ends of a specified number of wires, having the features disclosed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent subclaims. According to the invention there is provided a use of a wire retainer, in particular a wire end retainer for a wire arranging operation in a wiring harness assembling process to retain or hold a collected end portion formed by collected ends of a specified number of wires, on a wire arrangement board, comprising: a retainer main body provided or providable or arranged or arrangeable on a wire arrangement board, and a locking member mounted or provided at least partly insertably in (or into) or on the retainer main body and movable at least between a retaining position for retaining the wires and a release position for freeing the wires, wherein the locking member is adapted to retain the collected end portion. Thus according to the invention it is easily possible to accurately and fixedly hold the wires at an intermediate position and/or at an end therof. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wire retainer further comprises an accommodation space formed in or on the retainer main body for permitting the entrance of the wire, in particular of the wire ends or collected end portion along a specified insertion direction. Preferably, the locking member comprises an engaging plate slidably insertable or fittable into the retainer main body, while particularly intersecting or crossing or lying across in the accommodation space and formed particularly with a tapered hole which is through along the insertion direction of the wires and extends along the sliding direction of the engaging plate. Further preferably, the tapered hole is such that its width gradually decreases along the sliding direction of the engaging plate in the retainer main body. Most preferably, a peripheral face of the tapered hole is so slanted along the insertion direction of the wires as to make the tapered hole smaller. According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the entrance of the accommodation space into which the wires are inserted, in particular the wire ends or collected end portion is inserted, is bevelled. According to still a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking member comprises a rotatable member which is rotatably mounted or provided on the retainer main body, is formed with a contact face for coming into contact with the wires, in particular the wire ends or collected end portion, and is displaceable between a retaining position where the wires, in particular the wire ends or collected end portion are retained or retainable between the contact face and a wall face and a release or retracted position where in particular the contact face is substantially away from the wall face. Preferably, the contact face and the wall face define the accommodation space, wherein the wires, in particular the wire ends or the collected end portion are accommodated in the accommodation space by being pressed by the contact face. Further preferably, the rotatable member comprises at least one contact portion with which the wires, in particular to be accommodated in the accommodation space come into contact to rotate the rotatable member to the retaining position or to be shifted by the rotatable member. Most preferably, the rotatable member comprises a plurality of radially extending members, particularly blade members for coming into contact with the wires, wherein the radially extending members are in particular differently spaced in the circumferential direction or wherein between adjacent radially extending members are included different angles. According to still a further preferred embodiment, the locking member, in particular the rotatable member is constantly biased toward the retracted position and/or toward the retaining position, in particular by biasing means and/or by gravity or its own weight, wherein particularly an axis of rotation of the rotatable member is displaced from a center of gravity of it. Preferably, the wire retainer, in particular the wire end retainer further comprises an insertion restricting member for coming into contact with the wire, particularly with the wire ends or the collected end portion, particularly accommodated in the accommodation space, to restrict the insertion of the wire, in particular the wire ends or the collected end portion into the retainer main body, particularly into the accommodation space, in particular when the locking member is positioned in the release position. According to a still a further preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a wire end retainer used for a wire arranging operation in a wiring harness assembling process to retain a collected end portion formed by collected ends of a specified number of wires on a wire arrangement board, comprising: a support for securing the wire end retainer on the wire arrangement board, a retainer main body provided at the leading end of the support, an accommodation space formed in the retainer main body for permitting the entrance of the collected end portion along a specified insertion direction, and a locking member mounted or provided on the retainer main body and displaceable between a retaining position for retaining the collected end portion accommodated in the accommodation space and a release position for freeing the collected end portion. This construction has the following action. The wire end retainer can be arranged on the wire arrangement board by securing the support to the wire arrangement board. During the wire arranging operation, the collected end portion is inserted into the accommodation space in the specified direction to arrange it in the specified position. By changing the position of the locking member in this state, the collected end portion accommodated in the accommodation space can be retained, thereby locating the collected end portion in the specified position in the accommodation space. On the other hand, by changing the position of the locking member to its initial position, the collected end portion is freed, enabling it to be taken out of the accommodation space. Accordingly, during the wire arranging operation, the collected end portion can be positioned by arranging it in the specified position within the accommodation space and by retaining it by displacing the locking member. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be stably supported on the wire arrangement board during the wire arranging operation, with the result that the collected end portion can be accurately positioned and an accurate measurement can be made from the leading end thereof. On the other hand, since the collected end portion can be freed by returning the locking member to its initial position, it can be easily taken out after the wire arranging operation. Preferably, the locking member comprises an engaging plate slidably fittable or arrangeable into the retainer main body while lying across in the accommodation space and formed with a tapered hole which is through along the insertion direction and extends along the sliding direction of the engaging plate. This construction has the same action as the construction according to the preceding embodiment. Particularly, according to this embodiment, while being inserted into the accommodation space, the collected end portion passes through the tapered hole. When the engaging plate is slid in this state, the width of a portion of the tapered hole where the collected end portion is located becomes narrower and the edge of the tapered hole cuts in the collected end portion. Accordingly, the collected end portion is retained by the tapered hole and, hence, can be located in the specified position in the accommodation space. Accordingly, there is adopted a simple construction that the collected end portion inserted into the accommodation space is through the tapered hole formed in the engaging plate and is retained by the tapered hole by sliding the engaging plate. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be easily retained and freed only by the sliding movement of the engaging plate, and the wire end retainer can be manufactured at a reduced cost. There is also an advantage that a change in the outer diameter of the collected end portion can be easily coped with by retaining it by the tapered hole. As a result, the wire retaining operation can be smoothly performed. Further preferably, the engaging plate is slidably fittable along the vertical direction and the tapered hole is such that its width gradually decreases toward the bottom. This construction has the same action as the construction according to the preceding embodiment. Particularly, according to this embodiment, by pulling the engaging plate upward after the insertion of the collected end portion, the collected end portion can be positioned by being retained by the tapered hole. Further, when the upper end of the engaging plate is pressed downward in this state, the engaging plate moves downward by the action of gravity. Thus, the collected end portion can be easily freed. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be set only by pulling the engaging plate upward after the insertion of the collected end portion. Further, only by lightly pressing the upper face of the engaging plate in this state, the engaging plate moves downward by the action of gravity, allowing the collected end portion to be taken out. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be quite easily set and taken out, thereby improving a working efficiency. Most preferably, the peripheral face of the tapered hole is so slanted along the insertion direction as to make the tapered hole smaller. This construction has the same action as the construction according to the preceding embodiments. In addition, when the collected end portion is pulled in a direction opposite from the insertion direction after being retained and positioned, the opening edge of the tapered hole tends to cut in the collected end portion. This securely prevents the collected end portion from coming out. Thus, since the opening edge of the tapered hole prevents the set collected end portion from coming out, the collected end portion can be securely retained and positioned. Most preferably, the entrance of the accommodation space into which the collected end portion is inserted is bevelled. This construction has the same action as the construction according to any one of the preceding embodiments. In addition, since the entrance of the accommodation space is bevelled, the collected end portion is easily insertable into the accommodation space. Accordingly, since the entrance of the insertion hole is bevelled, the collected end portion is easily insertable into the insertion hole, with the result that the wire arranging operation can be more smoothly performed. According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the locking member comprises a rotatable member which is rotatably mounted on the retainer main body, is formed with a contact face for coming into contact with the collected end portion accommodated in the accommodation space, and is displaceable between a retaining position where the collected end portion accommodated in the accommodation space by being pressed by the contact face is retained between the contact face and a wall face defining the accommodation space and a retracted position where the contact face is away from the collected end portion. This construction has the same action as the construction according to the preceding embodiments. Particularly according to this embodiment, when the rotatable member is rotated to the retaining position after the insertion of the collected end portion into the accommodation space, the contact face comes into contact with the collected end portion and retains it in cooperation with the wall face defining the accommodation space. On the other hand, the contact face parts from the collected end portion by rotating the rotatable member counterclockwise toward the retracted position. This frees the collected end portion, enabling it to be taken out of the accommodation space. Accordingly, there is adopted a simple construction that, by rotating the rotatable member after the insertion of the collected end portion into the accommodation space, the collected end portion is retained between the wall face defining the accommodation space and the contact face of the rotatable member. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be easily retained and freed only by the rotational movement of the rotatable member, and the wire end retainer can be manufactured at a reduced cost. Preferably, the rotatable member comprises a contact portion with which the wire to be accommodated in the accommodation space comes into contact to rotate the rotatable member to the retaining position. This construction has the same action as the construction according to the preceding embodiment. In addition, while being inserted into the accommodation space, the collected end portion comes into contact with the contact portion provided at the rotatable member. In other words, when the collected end portion is inserted into the accommodation space, the rotatable member is automatically displaced to its retaining position to hold the collected end portion. Accordingly, since the rotatable member is automatically rotated to its retaining position by the collected end portion being inserted into the accommodation space to retain the collected end portion, the collected end portion can be very easily positioned. As a result, the wire arranging operation can be more smoothly performed. Further preferably, the rotatable member comprises an axis of rotation displaced from a center of gravity, and is constantly biased toward the retracted position by the action of gravity. This construction has the same action as the construction according to the preceding embodiments. In addition, since the rotatable member is constantly biased toward the retracted position, it automatically rotates only by pulling the collected end portion in such a direction to take it out of the accommodation space. Therefore, the collected end portion can be easily taken out of the accommodation space. Accordingly, the rotatable member is automatically rotated only by pulling the collected end position in such a direction to withdraw it from the accommodation space, thereby enabling an easy withdrawal of the collected end portion. Accordingly, the wire arranging operation can be far more smoothly performed. Most preferably, there is further provided an insertion restricting member for coming into contact with the collected end portion accommodated in the accommodation space to restrict the insertion of the collected end portion into the accommodation space. This construction has the same action as the construction according to any one of the preceding embodiments. In addition, while being inserted into the accommodation space, the collected end portion comes into contact with the insertion restricting member, with the result that the insertion of the collected end portion into the accommodation space is restricted. In other words, the collected end portion can be arranged in the specified position within the accommodation space only by inserting it into the accommodation space until it comes into contact with the insertion restricting member. Thus, the collected end portion can be located in the specified position within the accommodation space only by inserting the collected end portion into the accommodation space until it comes into contact with the insertion restricting member. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be easily positioned, retained and detached, further improving the efficiency of the wire arranging operation. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a retainer according to a first embodiment of the invention when it is arranged on a wire arrangement board, FIG. 2 is a section of the retainer showing the interior construction of a retainer main body and that of an engaging plate, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential portion of the retainer before a collected end portion is inserted into the retainer main body, FIG. 4 is a section showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body and the engaging plate before the collected end portion is inserted into the retainer main body, FIG. 5 is a section showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body and the engaging plate after the collected end portion is inserted into the retainer main body, FIG. 6 is a partial front view in section of the retainer showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body and the engaging plate when the collected end portion is inserted into the retainer main body, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an essential portion showing the collected end portion retained by the retainer main body, FIG. 8 is a section of the retainer showing the retainer main body and the engaging plate when the collected end portion is retained by the retainer main body, FIG. 9 is a partial front view in section of the retainer showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body and the engaging plate when the collected end portion is retained by the retainer main body, FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing an essential portion of a retainer according to one modification of the first embodiment, FIG. 11(A) is an exploded perspective view of a retainer according to a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 11(B) is an exploded perspective view of a retainer according to a modification of the second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 12 is a partial front view in section of the retainer of FIG. 12(A) showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body and the engaging plate before the collected end portion is retained by the retainer main body, FIG. 13 is a partial front view in section of the retainer of FIG. 12(A) showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body and the engaging plate when the collected end portion is retained by the retainer main body, FIG. 14(A) is a perspective view of a rotatable member according to one further modification of the second embodiment, FIG. 14(B) is a perspective view of a retainer according to one further modification of the second embodiment, wherein the retainer comprises rotatable member of FIG. 14(A), FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an end portion (collected end portion) of a sub-assembly of a wiring harness supported by a prior art wire support, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the collected end portion supported by the prior art wire support in another support method. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an operation of retaining collected end portion 11 of wires 10 to be arranged using a wire end retainer or a wire retainer or a wire holding device or a wire holding jig (hereafter, merely "retainer") A according to a first embodiment of the invention. With reference to FIG. 1, the retainer A is used during a wire arranging operation in a wiring harness assembling process to secure the collected end portion 11 formed by collectively connecting ends of a plurality of wires 10 in a specified position on a wire arrangement board 100 as a work table for the wire arranging operation. In this embodiment, the respective wires 10 are ground wires of the wiring harness, and ends thereof are connected by welding. A cover member e.g. of vinyl is fitted on the connected ends, thereby forming the collected end portion 11. (1) Description of the Respective Elements The retainer A includes a support 200 and a retaining portion SU connected with the upper end of the support 200. The support 200 can be formed of, e.g. a round bar member. A nut 210 formed with a fixing washer 211 is mounted at the bottom of the support 200. An external thread 212 is formed on the support 200 between the nut 210 and the bottom of the support 200. The portion of the support 200 where the external thread 212 is formed is inserted into a mount hole 101 formed in the wire arrangement board 100. The retainer A is secured to the wire arrangement board 100 by fastening a nut N to the externally threaded portion of the support 200 from underneath the wire arrangement board 100. The retaining portion SU is adapted to securely position the collected end portion 11 of the arranged wires 10, and includes a retainer main body 300 and an engaging plate 400. Although the retainer main body 300 and the engaging plate 400 are separated in FIG. 1, the engaging plate 400 is actually used while being inserted into an engaging slot 330 of the retainer main body 300 (see FIG. 3). The retainer main body 300 is in the form of a substantially rectangular block, and is secured to the upper end of the support 200. FIG. 2 shows sections of the retainer main body 300 and the engaging plate 400 in their separated state. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the retainer main body 300 is formed with an insertion hole or recess 310 which is open in a front face 301 of the retainer main body 300 and extends from the front face 301 toward a rear face 302 by a specified distance. In other words, the insertion hole 310 is preferably not a through hole, but has an inner back face 320. The opening edge of the insertion hole 310 is bevelled to form a C-face 311. The collected end portion 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 310, and the space within the insertion hole 310 forms an accommodation space E for the collected end portion 11. Further, the leading end of the collected end portion 11 comes to contact with the inner back face 320 of the insertion hole 310, with the result that any further insertion of the collected end portion 11 into the hole 310 is restricted. The retainer main body 300 is also formed with the engaging slot 330 which is open in an upper face 303 of the retainer main body 300 and extends downward from the upper face 303 by a specified distance. A sliding portion 410 of the engaging plate 400 is fittable or slidable into or arrangeable in the engaging slot 330. The engaging slot 330 is in communication with an intermediate portion of the accommodation space E. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, the engaging slot 330 intersects with the accommodation space E at an angle, in particular along substantially horizontal and substantially vertical directions. The engaging plate 400 is formed of a substantially T-shaped substantially flat plate, and includes a grip 420 and the sliding portion 410 extending downward from the grip 420. The sliding portion 410 is slidably fittable into the engaging slot 330 along the vertical direction. With reference to FIG. 1, the sliding portion 410 is formed with a tapered hole-430 extending in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). The tapered hole 430 is such a through hole that its width substantially decreases toward the bottom (FIG. 1) and/or toward the inner back face 320, when inserted into the retainer main body 300 (FIG. 2). Accordingly, when the sliding portion 410 is accommodated in the engaging slot 330, the insertion hole 310 is in communication with the tapered hole 430. A pair of opposite faces 431, 432 are formed by laterally opposing portions of an inner face 435 of the tapered hole 430 (FIG. 1). The distance between the opposite faces 431 and 432 varies along the vertical direction. In other words, the spacing between the opposite faces 431 and 432 decreased toward the bottom of the tapered hole 430 or in an insertion direction of the engaging plate 400 into the insertion hole 310 the retainer main body 300. The width of the tapered hole 430 at its upper end is set substantially equal to the inner diameter of the insertion hole 310. The inner face 435 of the tapered hole 430 is slanted along the thickness direction of the sliding portion 410 (see FIG. 2). Specifically, when the sliding portion 410 is accommodated in the engaging slot 330, the inner face 435 of the tapered hole 430 is slanted from the front face 301 of the retainer main body 300 toward the rear face 302 thereof so as to make the tapered hole 430 smaller. The actions and effects brought about this slanted inner face 435 are described later. The grip 420 is gripped by hand to insert and detach the engaging plate 400 into and from the engaging slot 330. The grip 420 is formed with a through hole 423 extending in the thickness direction. The through hole 423 prevents a slip when the grip 420 is gripped. On the opposite sides of the grip 420, there are formed projected portions 421 and 422 bulging to the left and right. The projected portions 421, 422 come into contact with the upper face 303 of the retainer main body 300 when the engaging plate 400 is inserted into the engaging slot 330. This prevents the engaging plate 400 from being completely fitted into the engaging slot 330. The projected portions 421, 422 may also be dispensed with. In this case, the depth of the engaging slot 330 may be adjusted to prevent the engaging plate 400 from being completed fitted into the engaging slot 330. Alternatively, this may be prevented by lengthening the sliding portion 410, or providing stopping means or projections (not shown) on the retainer main body 300, particularly on the periphery or at the inserting hole 310 or engaging slot 330. (2) Actions and Effects Next, the actions and effects of this embodiment are described. (1) First, by securing the support 200 to the wire arrangement board 100, the retainer A is arranged in the specified position on the wire arrangement board 100 (see FIG. 1). At this time, the engaging plate 400 is already fitted into the retainer main body 300 (see FIG. 3). In the state of FIG. 3, the retainer main body 300 and the engaging plate 400 are positioned with respect to each other as shown in FIG. 4, i.e. the engaging plate 400 is inserted into the engaging slot 330 such that a wider portion of the tapered hole 430 is aligned with the insertion hole 310, and the insertion hole 310 formed in the retainer main body 300 communicates with the tapered hole 430 formed in the engaging plate 400. (2) During the wire arranging operation, the collected end portion 11 of the wires 10 is inserted into the insertion hole 310 along an arrow in the state of FIG. 3, with the result that the collected end portion 11 is substantially housed in the accommodation space E. At this time, the insertion of the collected end portion 11 into the space E is restricted by the inner back face 320 of the insertion hole 310 as shown in FIG. 5. More specifically, as the collected end portion 11 further enters the space E, the leading end of the collected end portion 11 comes into contact with the inner back face 320, thereby preventing any further insertion of the collected end portion 11 into the insertion hole 310. As a result, the collected end portion 11 can be arranged in the specified position within the space E. FIG. 6 is a section along the widthwise direction showing a positional relationship of the collected end portion 11 and the tapered hole 430 in the state of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, when set in the accommodation space E, the collected end portion 11 is inserted through the upper part, i.e. the large width part of the tapered hole 430. Accordingly, a clearance d is formed between the collected end portion 11 and the tapered hole 430, i.e. the collected end portion 11 and the tapered hole 430 are loosely engaged. (3) Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, the grip 420 of the engaging plate 400 is gripped by hand or by any other e.g. mechanical means, to pull the engaging plate 400 upward. At this stage, a positional relationship between the retainer main body 300 and the engaging plate 400 is as shown in FIG. 8, and the one between the collected end portion 11 and the tapered hole 430 is as shown in FIG. 9. More specifically, by sliding the engaging plate 400 upward, the tapered hole 430 is displaced with respect to the collected end portion 11. When this displacement is viewed from the collected end portion side, the pair of opposite faces 431, 432 of the tapered hole 430 come closer to the collected end portion 11 until they hold or center or place the collected end portion 11 therebetween. Thus, the collected end portion 11 is tightly held by the opposite faces 431, 432. (4) By tightly holding the collected end portion 11 arranged in the specified position within the accommodation space E by the opposite faces 431, 432, the collected end portion 11 can be retained and positioned. Accordingly, the collected end portion 11 can be located in the specified position on the wire arrangement board 100 during the wire arranging operation. As a result, the collected end portion 11 can be stably supported during the wire arranging operation, enabling an accurate measurement from the leading end of the collected end portion 11. (5) On the other hand, by sliding the engaging plate 400 downward, the opposite faces 431, 432 part from the collected end portion 11 (see FIG. 6), with the result that the collected end portion 11 is easily withdrawable from the accommodation space E. In addition to the above actions and effects, this embodiment has the following actions and effects. (6) First, since the opposite faces 431, 432 are formed by the parts of the inner face 435 of the tapered hole 430, the construction for holding the collected end portion 11 can be simplified. Thus, the cost of the mechanism for holding the collected end portion 11 can be reduced, which contributes to a more inexpensive retainer A. (7) Since the collected end portion 11 can be held only by sliding the engaging plate 400, it can be positioned by a simple operation and the wire arranging operation can be smoothly performed. Further, since the engaging plate 400 is slidable along the vertical direction in this embodiment, it falls by the action of gravity only by slightly tapping the top of the engaging plate 400 when the retained collected end portion 11 is to be detached. In other words, the opposite faces 431, 432 part from the collected end portion 11, thereby freeing the collected end portion 11 and enabling an easy withdrawal thereof from the accommodation space E. Thus, the wire arranging operation can be more smoothly performed. (8) Since the collected end portion 11 is held by the opposite faces 431, 432 of the tapered hole 430, a change in the outer diameter of the collected end portion 11 can be advantageously easily coped with. In other words, the collected end portion 11 can be held between the opposite faces 431, 432 by slightly lifting the engaging plate 400 if its outer diameter is larger, or by considerably lifting the engaging plate 400 if its outer diameter is small. The width of the tapered hole 430 is not limited to the one as shown in this embodiment, but it may be so changed as to conform to the outer diameter of the collected end portion 11 by changing the design of the tapered hole 430. (9) Since the opposite faces 431, 432 are slanted in a direction from the front face 301 of the retainer main body 300 to the rear face 302 thereof, i.e. in the insertion direction of the collected end portion 11, the collected end portion 11 is not easily withdrawable once it passes through the tapered hole 430 and is tightly held between the opposite faces 431, 432. This is because the slant causes the opposite faces 431, 432 to cut in the collected end portion 11 even if an attempt is made to withdraw the held collected end portion 11. Accordingly, the collected end portion 11 can be securely positioned and, hence, the wire arranging operation can be more smoothly performed. There is an additional advantage that the bevelled opening edge of the insertion hole 310 facilitates the insertion of the collected end portion 11. ( 3) Modifications FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an essential portion of a retainer A according to one modification. This modification differs from the first embodiment in the following points. (1) As opposed to the vertically slidable engaging plate 400 of the first embodiment, an engaging plate 450 of this modification is slidable along a widthwise direction. (2) In order to prevent the engaging plate 400 from being completely fitted into the engaging slot 330, the projected portions 421, 422 (see FIG. 1) are formed at the engaging plate 400 of the first embodiment. In this modification, spring pins 451, 452 are provided instead of the projected portions 421, 422. (3) In the first embodiment, the insertion hole 310 is a bottomed hole, and the insertion of the collected end portion 11 is restricted by its inner back face 320. In this modification, a retainer main body 350 is formed with an insertion hole 360 which is through in the insertion direction, and the insertion of the collected end portion 11 is restricted by a contact member 370. Since the other construction is same as that of the first embodiment, no description is given thereon by identifying them by the same reference numerals. The retainer main body 350 is formed with the insertion hole 360. The insertion hole 360 is a through hole which extends from a front face 351 of the retainer main body 350 to its rear face. The retainer main body 350 is also formed with an engaging slot 330 which communicates opposite side faces. Similar to the first embodiment, the insertion hole 360 and the engaging slot 330 communicate with each other. The engaging plate 450 is slidable along the widthwise direction, and the spring pins 451, 452 prevent it from coming out of the retainer main body 350. Since the engaging plate 450 is slid along the widthwise direction in this modification, the grip 420 (see FIG. 1) is not provided. The contact member 370 is fastened to the rear face of the retainer main body 350 by screws B1. A round recess 371 is formed in the front face of the contact member 370. The collected end portion 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 360 until it comes into contact with the bottom face of the recess 371. The recess 371 may be dispensed with. Further, by connecting the spring pin 451 and the retainer main body 350 by, e.g. a tension spring, the engaging plate 400 can be constantly biased in such a direction to hold the collected end portion 11. The modification thus constructed has the same actions and effects as the first embodiment. The contact member 370 may also be dispensed with. In such a case, the collected end portion 11 can be located in the specified position by, for example, bringing the leading end of the inserted collected end portion 11 into contact with a finger of an operator or with other means put on the rear face of the retainer main body 350 when the collected end portion 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 360. <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the invention is described. FIG. 11(A) is a perspective view of an essential portion of a retaining portion SU of a retainer A according to a second embodiment. (1) Features of this embodiment With reference to FIG. 11(A), the features of this embodiment are as follows. (1) The collected end portion 11 is fittable into a. retainer main body 600 from above, and the main body 600 is formed with a slot 610 into which the collected end portion 11 is fitted or fittable. (2) A rotatable member 700 is rotatably or pivotably connected with the retainer main body 600 to hold the collected end portion 11 accommodated in the slot 610. Since the other construction is same as that of the first embodiment, no description is given thereon. Similar to the first embodiment, the retaining portion SU is secured to the upper end of the support 200. The retainer main body 600 is in the form of a substantially U-shaped block, and has a pair of wall portions 620, 630 substantially facing along forward and backward directions. The retainer main body 600 is formed with a substantially vertically extending slot which acts as the slot 610. The slot 610 extends downward from an upper face 601 of the retainer main body 600. More specifically, the slot 610 is formed such that it extends through the wall portion 620 and depresses the wall portion 630 by a specified distance along the forward and backward directions. In other words, an end face 611 of the slot 610 is formed at a portion of the wall portion 630. The rotatable member 700 is a plate-like member, and is disposed between the wall portions 620, 630. A curved face 710 is formed at the leading end face of the rotatable member 700. A substantially middle portion of this leading end face is depressed so that the opposite side portions of the leading end of the rotatable member 700 project. Further, the rotatable member 700 is so mounted on the retainer main body 600 via a pin 800 as to be rotatable along directions indicated by arrows in FIG. 11(A). Accordingly, as the rotatable member 700 rotates, the curved face 710 moves closer to and away from an inner wall face 615 of the slot 610. The rotatable member 700 is supported by the pin 800 in a position displaced from its center of gravity and, therefore, is constantly in a position as shown in FIG. 11(A). More specifically, the rotatable member 700 is constantly biased by the action of gravity in such a direction that the curved face 710 substantially retracts from the slot 610 (in such a direction that the curved face 710 parts from the slot 610) while a part of its leading end is located in the slot 610 (see FIG. 12). Alternatively or additionally a biasing means e.g. a spring or the like may be provided to bias the curved face 710 substantially away from the slot 610. (2) Actions and Effects Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the actions and effects of this embodiment are described. FIGS. 12 and 13 are sections showing a positional relationship between the retainer main body 600 and the rotatable member 700 before and after the collected end portion 11 is retained, respectively. (1) First, similar to the first embodiment, the retainer A is arranged in a specified position on the wire arrangement board by securing the support 200 to the wire arrangement board. At this time, the rotatable member 700 is in a position retracted or at least partly at a distance or spaced from the slot 610 (retracted position) as shown in FIG. 12. (2) With reference to FIG. 13, the wires or the collected end portion 11 is inserted into the slot 610 from above (arrow in FIG. 12) the retainer main body 600. At this time, the collected end portion 11 is accommodated in the slot 611 such that the leading end thereof is in touch with the end face 611 of the wall portion 630. In this case, the slot 610 forms the accommodation space for the collected end portion 11, and the end face 611 restricts the insertion of the collected end portion 11 into the accommodation space (slot 610). Accordingly, as the collected end portion 11 enters the accommodation space, the leading end thereof comes into contact with the end face 611, with the result that the collected end portion 11 can be arranged in the specified position within the accommodation space. (3) While being inserted into the slot 610, the collected end portion 11 comes into contact with a portion 730 at the leading end of the rotatable member 700. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotatable member 700 rotates counterclockwise by being pressed by the collected end portion 11, and the curved face 710 thereof comes closer to the inner wall face 615 of the slot 610. In other words, while being inserted into the slot 610, the collected end portion 11 is automatically held between the curved face 710 of the rotatable member 700 and the inner wall face 615 of the slot 610. (4) Thus, by holding the collected end portion 11 arranged in the specified position in the slot 610 between the curved face 710 of the rotatable member 700 and the inner wall face 615 of the slot 610, the collected end portion 11 can be retained and positioned. Accordingly, the collected end portion can be located in the specified position on the wire arrangement board during the wire arranging operation. As a result, during the wire arranging operation, the collected end portion 11 can be stably held, enabling e.g. an accurate measurement from the leading end thereof. (5) On the other hand, when the collected end portion 11 is pulled upward, the rotatable member 700 rotates clockwise by being pressed by the collected end portion 11. This causes the curved face 710 to part from the inner wall face 615, enabling an easy withdrawal of the collected end portion 11 from the slot 610. Particularly in this embodiment, since the rotatable member 700 is biased in such a direction that the curved face 710 parts from the inner wall face 615, the rotatable member 700 is automatically caused to rotate only by lightly pulling the collected end portion 11 upward, enabling an easy withdrawal of the collected end portion 11 from the slot 610. As described above, according to this embodiment, since the collected end portion 11 can be very easily set and withdrawn, the wire arranging operation can be more smoothly performed. (3) Modification Next, a modification of the second embodiment of the invention is described. FIG. 11(B) is a perspective view of an essential portion of a retaining portion SU of a retainer A according to a modification of the second embodiment. The retainer main body 600 of this modification is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11(A) in the form of a substantially U-shaped block, and has a pair of wall portions 620, 630' substantially facing along forward and backward directions, wherein the wall portion 630' has a longer extension than the wall portion 620 in a direction along the direction of extension of the slot 610 formed in the wall portion 620 (the vertical direction in FIG. 11(B)) or in a direction substantially away from the support 200. A recess 611' is formed on a portion of the wall portion 630', the recess 611' preferably extending up to the leading end 631' of the wall portion 630' and acting as an end face for the slot 610 for a portion of the wall portion 630' overlapping with or facing the other wall portion 620. The wires may be inserted into the slot 610 formed in the wall portion 620 of the retainer main body 600 by first abutting on or reaching the wall portion 630' in a region, where the wall portion 630' is not facing the wall portion 620 and then shifting or moving the wires toward the other wall portion 620 (e.g. downward in FIG. 11(B)) and inserting them into the slot 610, thereby interacting with the rotatable member 700 in a way similar to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 11(A). The portion of the recess 611' not facing the slot 610 can act as a guiding means for guiding the wires or the collected end 11 thereof to the slot 610 thereby facilitating the insertion procedure or step. By abutting the wires or the collected end 11 thereof on the wall portion 630' before inserting them into the slot 610 the wires or the collected end 11 thereof can be more reliably positioned on the retainer main body 600. Accordingly it is possible to align in a more efficient, precise and easy way a leading end of the wires or a collected end portion 11 thereof on the retainer main body 600. The following can be considered to be a further modification of the second embodiment. First, the shape of the curved face 710 of the rotatable member 700 can be changed in conformity with the outer diameter and/or shape of the collected end portion 11. This enables the retainer A to retain collected end portions 11 having different outer diameters and/or peripheral shapes. The rotatable member 700 may be shaped as shown in FIG. 14(A). FIG. 14(A) is a perspective view of a rotatable member 750 according to one modification and FIG. 14(B) is a perspective view of a retainer comprising the rotatable member 750 of FIG. 14(A). The rotatable member 750 has preferably eight radially extending blades 751. The collected end portion 11 is held between two adjacent blades 751. In this case, side faces 760 of the respective blades 751 act as faces for pressing the collected end portion 11. Identified by 752 is an hole into which the pin 800 is inserted or insertable. Spacings between pairs of adjacent blades 751 are preferably different. Accordingly, a change in the outer diameter or in the shape of the collected end portion 11 to be retained can be easily coped with by rotating the rotatable member 750 and selecting two adjacent blades 751 having a spacing suitable to the outer diameter of this collected end portion 11. Additionally the blades 751 may have different outer peripheral shapes (not shown) in order to accommodate collected end portions 11 having different outer peripheral shapes, e.g. circular, rectangular, elliptical or the like shapes. Although the wall portion 630 is formed with the end face 611, the slot 610 may be so formed as to extend through the wall portions 620, 630. In such a case, similar to the modification of the first embodiment, the collected end portion 11 can be located in the specified position by, for example, bringing the leading end of the inserted collected end portion 11 into contact with a finger of an operator put on the wall portion 630 when the collected end portion 11 is inserted into the insertion hole 360. Alternatively, a contact member 370 as shown in FIG. 10 may be provided on the rear face of the wall portion 630. Further, the portion 730 of the rotatable member 700 may be dispensed with. In such a case, the rotatable member 700 may be rotated after the insertion of the collected end portion 11. It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the foregoing two embodiments, but a variety of design changes can be made within the scope of the invention. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS A Retainer SU Retaining Portion E Accommodation Space 100 Wire Arrangement Board 200 Support 300 Retainer Main Body 310 Insertion Hole 311 C-Face 320 Inner Back Face 330 Engaging Slot 360 Insertion Hole 370 Contact Plate 400 Engaging Plate 430 Tapered Hole 431 Opposite Face 432 Opposite Face 600 Retainer Main Body 610 Slot 611 End Face 700 Rotatable Member 710 Curved Face 730 Leading End Portion 750 Rotatable Member 760 Side Face 800 Pin

Claims: Use of a wire retainer for a wire arranging operation in a wiring harness assembling process to retain a collected end portion (11) formed by a cover member fitted on collected ends of a specified number of wires, on a wire arrangement board (100), comprising: a retainer main body (300; 350; 600) provided on the wire arrangement board (100), and a locking member (SU; 400; 450; 700; 750) provided at least partly insertably in or on the retainer main body (300; 350; 600) and movable at least between a retaining position (depicted in FIG. 8, 9; 13) for retaining the wires (11) and a release position (depicted in FIG. 3-6; 11-12) for freeing the wires (11), wherein the locking member (SU; 400; 450; 700; 750) is adapted to retain the collected end portion (11). Use of a wire retainer according to claim 1, the wire retainer further comprising an accommodation space (E; 610) formed in or on the retainer main body (300; 350; 600) for permitting the entrance of the wire (11), in particular of the wire ends or collected end portion (11) along a specified insertion direction. Use of a wire retainer according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking member (SU) comprises an engaging plate (400; 450) slidably insertable or fittable into the retainer main body (300; 350), while particularly intersecting the accommodation space (E) and formed particularly with a tapered hole (430) which is through along the insertion direction of the wires (11) and extends along the sliding direction of the engaging plate (400; 450). Use of a wire retainer according to claim 3, wherein the tapered hole (430) is such that its width gradually decreases along the sliding direction of the engaging plate (400; 450) in the retainer main body (300; 350). Use of a wire retainer according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a peripheral face (435) of the tapered hole (430) is so slanted along the insertion direction of the wires (11) as to make the tapered hole (430) smaller. Use of a wire retainer according to one or more of the preceding claims and claim 2, wherein the entrance of the accommodation space (E; 610) into which the wires (11) are inserted, in particular the wire ends or collected end portion (11) is inserted, is bevelled. Use of a wire retainer according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking member (SU) comprises a rotatable member (700; 750) which is rotatably provided on the retainer main body (600), is formed with a contact face (710; 760) for coming into contact with the wires (11), in particular the wire ends or collected end portion (11), and is displaceable between a retaining position (depicted in FIG. 13) where the wires (11), in particular the wire ends or collected end portion (11) are retained or retainable between the contact face (710; 760) and a wall face (610, 615) and a release or retracted position (depicted in FIG. 12) where in particular the contact face (710; 760) is substantially away from the wall face (610, 615). Use of a wire retainer according to claim 7 and claim 2, wherein the contact face (710; 760) and the wall face (610, 615) define the accommodation space (610), wherein the wires (11), in particular the wire ends or the collected end portion (11) are accommodated in the accommodation space (610) by being pressed by the contact face (710; 760). Use of a wire retainer according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the rotatable member (700; 750) comprises at least one contact portion (730; 751) with which the wires (11), in particular to be accommodated in the accommodation space (610) come into contact to rotate the rotatable member (700; 750) to the retaining position (FIG. 13) or which is to be shifted by the rotatable member (700; 750). Use of a wire retainer according to one or more of the preceding claims 7 to 9, wherein the rotatable member (750) comprises a plurality of radially extending members (751), particularly blade members (751) for coming into contact with the wires (11), wherein the radially extending members (751) are in particular differently spaced in the circumferential direction. Use of a wire retainer according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the locking member (400; 450; 700; 750), in particular the rotatable member (700; 750) is constantly biased toward the retracted position (FIG. 12) and/or toward the retaining position (FIG. 13), in particular by biasing means and/or by gravity , wherein particularly an axis of rotation (800) of the rotatable member (700) is displaced from a center of gravity of it. Use of a wire retainer according to one or more of the preceding claims, the wire retainer further comprising an insertion restricting member (320; 370; 611; 611') for coming into contact with the wire, particularly with the wire ends or the collected end portion (11), particularly accommodated in the accommodation space (E; 610), to restrict the insertion of the wire, in particular the wire ends or the collected end portion into the retainer main body (300; 350; 600), particularly into the accommodation space (E; 610), in particular when the locking member (SU; 400; 450; 700; 750) is positioned in the release position.

Inventors: ARAKI YOSHIHIRO, ARAKI, YOSHIHIRO, ARAKI, YOSHIHIRO, C/O SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD
Applicants: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H05K13
IPC codes: H05K13, H01B13