Wire harness

Abstract: On a perimeter plane of a protective material T of a wire harness W/H, a straight mark line 14 along an axis direction is formed by a coloring which differs from that of said perimeter plane, and the existence of distortion of a wire harness can be recognised by whether the mark line is straight or not, so that the wire harness may not be installed in a distorted state to a vehicle. The above-mentioned mark line is formed by coating with a marker pen, by a paint, or formed by adhering an adhesive tape for coloring.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wire harness having a structure for preventing the distortion of said wire harness an to a method of producing same. Hitherto, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, there is a wire harness W/H-1 penetrated from an instrument panel 3 to a compartment 4 as a wire harness W/H-1 installed at an engine room 2 of an automobile 1. In the engine room 2, the wire harness W/H-1 is installed, first of all, by inserting a bracket 6 of an engine E with a clamp 5 as shown in Figure 8(A) and fixing, successively, by penetrating it from the penetration hole 3a of the instrument panel 3 as shown in Figure 8(B) and fixing a grommet 7 by fitting to penetration hole 3a, and finally, by inserting a clamp 10 to a bracket 9 on a suspension tower 8 and fixing it as sjon in Figures 8(C) and 7. Reference numeral 11 designates a protector installed on the engine E. In the compartement 4 the wire harness W/H-2 is fixed with clamps 12. Said clamps 12 are closed after the wire harness W/H-2 is fitted in said switching-type clamps 12 as shown in Figure 11. However, when at the time of installing the wire harness W/H-l in the engine room 2, the wire harness W/H-1 had been penetrated through the penetration hole 3a not in a usual state as shown in Figure 9(A) but in a state distorted as it is shown in Figure 9(B), and successively, the grommet 7 was fixed by fitting to penetration hole 3a, it has been a burden for a worker because it was necessary to fit in the penetration hole 3a while forcibly pulling the grommet 7. Besides, there was a fear that due to the effect of distortion of the wire harness W/H-1, the bracket 9 might be deformed by a clamp 10 finally inserted and fixed in the bracket 9. Moreover, when a branch part W of the wire harness W/H-1 is not in an usual state or undistorted state as shown in Figure 10(A) but in a state distorted as shown in Figure 10(B), a branch part W1 interferes with other parts due to a curvature according to tension by the distortion, and it becomes difficult to fix the protector 11 on the engine E because it is pulled and moved to the direction of the branch part W. On the other hand, at the time of installing the wire harness W/H-2 in the compartment 4, when the wire harness W/H-2 is in the state distorted as it is as shown in Figures 11(B) and (C), the branch lines W2 to W4 for radio, meters, door-lock relays and the like deviate from the normal direction (refer to the real line of Figure 11(A) and the two-dot chain line of Figures 11(B) and (C)), and therefore they do not reach till the connector part of the radio and the like. Furthermore, when a corrugate is covered on the wire harnesses W/H-1 and W/H-2 from a radius direction, the recognition of the distortion by said slit is possible because a slit of an axial direction is formed in the corrugate tube, but as the wire harnesses and the corrugate tube are usually the same colour (black) and the engine room 2 and the like are dark, it is very difficult to recognize the distortion of the slit. From EP-A-0 666 172 a wire harness is known comprising a plurality of wires bundled together and surrounded by a cover, which is provided with symbols on the outside thereof so as to give some information concerning, for example, about the number of wires included within a bundle. Such symbols provided on the outside of the cover of the wire harness can include of course very small straight mark lines depending on the type of symbols used. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a wire harness having a structure for preventing the distortion of the wire harness so that it can be accurately installed in an automobile. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for producing such a wire harness having a structure for preventing distortion. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method of installing such a wire harness. These objects are solved by a wire harness as defined in claim 1 and by methods as defined in claims 6 and 9. Improved embodiments of the inventive wire harness result from the subclaims 2 to 5, whereas improved embodiments of the inventive methods result from the subclaims 7 and 8. According to the invention at least one straight mark line is formed along an axis direction on the outside of the wire harness along at least a part of the length of wire harness such that in distorted position the mark line appears as a helical line and such that a worker can install the wire harness so that the mark line is maintained straight while watching the mark line. The coloring of the mark line differs from that of the perimeter plane (the outside of the wire harness) so that the mark line is clearly visible even in dull surrounding like in the engine compartment of an automobile. According to an aspect of the present invention distortion of a wire harness upon installing it, e.g. in an automobile, can be prevented. A worker only installs it so that the mark line is maintained straight while watching the mark line on the perimeter plane of the cover of the wire harness, preferable made of protective material by eyes, and the wire harness is able to be accurately installed into an automobile so as not to be distorted. Therefore, problems derived from the distortion of the wire harness can be solved at a stroke. When a worker installs the wire harness in accordance with the present invention, he can accurately install the wire harness in an automobile without distortion, only by installing it so that the mark line may be straight while he watches by eyes the mark line which is conspicuous due to a coloring differing from that of said perimeter plane of the wire harness. The mark line can be formed by coating with a marker pen, by a paint, or formed by adhering an adhesive tape for coloring. Thus the mark line can be briefly and rapidly formed. According to the present invention such a wire harness can be produced by: a) providing a wire harness with a plurality of wires bundeld together an surrounded by a cover in the usual way; b) removably fixing a drawing plate with a straight elongated slit on the wire hareness, said slit in parallel to the lenght axis of the wire harness; and c) inserting a marker pen into slit and drawing a marker line on the cover (T) of the wire harness by moving the marker pen along the slit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 Cross-eyed view of the structure for preventing the distortion of the wire harness in the engine room of the present invention; Figure 2 Cross-eyed view of the wire harness where the mark line is formed; Figure 3 (A) to (C) Cross-eyed view of the fixed structure of each parts of the wire harness; Figure 4 Cross-eyed view of the structure for preventing the distortion of the wire harness in the compartment; Figure 5 (A) Cross-eyed view of a method for forming the mark line; Figure 5 (B) sectional view of Figure 5(A); Figure 6 Sketch plan view illustrating the engine room and compartment of an automobile; Figure 7 Cross-eyed view of the fixed structure of the wire harness in a traditional engine room; Figure 8 (A) to (C) cross-eyed view of the fixed structure of each parts of the wire harness; Figure 9 (A) and (B) side views illustrating the distortion at a linear part of the wire harness; Figure 10 (A) and (B) side views illustrating the distortion at a branch part of the wire harness; Figure 11 (A), (B) and (C) Cross-eyed view of the fixed structure of the wire harness in the compartment: (A) is the cross-eyed view before fixed by the clamp, (B) is the cross-eyed view after fixed by the clamp, and (C) is the sectional view of the wire harness illustrating the branch line deviated from the normal direction. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As to the general structure of a wire harness and its use in an autombile reference is made to the description of Figs. 6 to 11 and a detailed description is omitted here. Furthermore, the same designation marks are used for designating corresponding parts. As shown in Figure 2, at the tape bundling a number of wires W of wire harnesses W/H (W/H-1, W/H-2), or at the perimeter plane of the protective material T such as the corrugate tube and the like covering the perimeter of said tape, the straight mark line 14 is formed along an axis direction with a conspicuous coloring (for example, white and yellow) differing from that (for example, black) of said perimeter plane of said protective material. As shown in Figure 5, the wire harnesses W/H is set on U-letter shaped holders 15. On the open U-shaped portions of the holders 15 a drawing plate 16 is fixed having a straight long hole 16a as a form for applying the mark line 14 and a guidance for a marker pen 17, respectively. The drawing plate 16 and the wire harness W/H are aligned with respect to each other so that the long hole 16a is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wire harness W/H. By fitting the marker pen 17, e. g. white or or yellow color, in the long hole 16a of said plate 16 and moving the marker pen 17 along the long hole 16a, the mark line 14 being straight to the axis direction can be briefly and rapidly formed on the perimeter plane of the protective material T for the wire harnesses W/H. The straight mark line 14 may be a single mark line along the length of the wire harnes W/H or a plurality of straight mark lines. The plurality of mark lines may run parallel to each other. One or a plurality of mark lines may be provided at different locations around the perimeter in different sections of the wire harness W/H. It is usually sufficient to form the mark line(s) in critical sections along the length of the wire harness which tend to be distorted. The specific location of the mark line(s) on the perimeter of the cover is chosen so that the mark line(s) is(are) visible for the worker upon installation of the wire harness. Different colors in different sections of the wire harness and for different ones of the plurality of mark lines may be used. In place of the above-mentioned marker pen 17, a brush or a roller containing paint may be used. Furthermore, an adhesive tape for coloring may be adhered instead of the paint. It is unnecessary that the above-mentioned mark line 14 is formed over the full length of the wire harnesses W/H, i. e. it is sufficient that the mark line 14 is formed only on that parts of the wire harnesses W/H which may be distorted upon installation. As shown in Fig. 1 with a wire harness W/H-1 in an engine room 2, the mark line 14 is formed on the perimeter plane of the protective material or cover T for the wire harnesses W/H-1 between the clamps 5 and the grommet 7. When the wire harness W/H-1 is installed, first of all, it is inserted in the bracket 5 of the engine E and fixed by the clamp 5 as shown in Figure 3(A). Thereafter, it is penetrated to the compartment 4 with the grommet 7 through a penetration hole 3a of an instrument panel 3 as shown in Figure 3(B). Finally, the wire harness W/H is fixed at the penetration hole 3a by fitting while pulling back the grommet 7. Before the grommet 7 is fixed in the penetration hole 3a by fitting, that is, in the state of Figure 3(B), while watching the mark line 14 on the perimeter plane of the wire harness W/H-1 by eyes, it is recognised whether the mark line 14 is straight or not. If it is straight, the wire harness W/H-1 is not distorted, and therefore it is enough that the grommet 7 is fixed in the penetration hole 3a by fitting as it is. If the mark line 14 is not straight but distorted, the wire harness W/H-1 is also distorted, and therefore, the wire harness W/H-1 is rectified to its not distorted state and only thereafter the grommet 7 is fixed in the penetration hole 3a. As it can be accurately installed so that the wire harness W/H-1 between the clamp 5 and the grommet 7 may not be distorted in the manner mentioned above, the dimension of the wire harness W/H-1 between the clamp 5 and the grommet 7 does not become short, and therefore the burden of a worker is reduced because it becomes unnecessary to fit in the penetration hole 3a while forcibly pulling the grommet. Furthermore, as the distortion of the wire harness W/H-1 does not affect the clamp 10 where the bracket 9 is finally inserted and fixed, there is no danger that the bracket 9 is deformed. Moreover, as the branch part W of the wire harness W/H-1 is also not distorted, the branch part W1 does not interfere with other parts and it can be easily carried out to fix the protector 11 on the engine E. On the other hand, in case of the wire harness W/H-2 in the compartment 4, the mark line 14 is formed in similar manner mentioned above on the perimeter plane of the wire harness W/H-2 as shown in Figure 4. Before the wire harness W/H-2 mentioned above is fixed in each of the switching type clamps 12, while watching the mark line 14 on the perimeter plane of the wire harness W/H2 by eyes, it is recognised whether the mark line 14 is straight or not. If it is straight, the wire harness W/H-2 is not distorted, and therefore it is enough that each of the clamps 12 is fixed as it is. If the mark line 14 is not straight but distorted, the wire harness W/H-2 is also distorted, and therefore, each of the clamps 12 is fixed by closing only after rectifying so that the wire harness W/H-2 may be straight. As it can be accurately installed to each of clamps 12 so that the wire harness W/II-2 may not be distorted in the manner mentioned above, the branch lines W2 to W4 for a radio, meters, door-lock relays and the like do not deviate from the normal direction, and therefore they accurately reach until the connector part of the radio and the like, and the coupling of a connector can be easily performed. LIST OF DESIGNATION MARKS W/H-1: Wire harness of the engine room W/H-2: Wire harness of the compartment W: Wire T: Cover, e. g. protective material for the wire harness, a bundling tape, a corrugate tube and the like 5 : Clamp 7: Grommet 10: Clamp 12: Clamp 14: Mark line 16: Plate for lining 17: Marker pen

Claims: A wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) comprising a plurality of wires (W) bundled together and surrounded by a cover (T), characterized in that at least one straight mark line (14) is formed along at least a part of the length in axial direction of the wire harness on a perimeter plane of the cover (T) such that in distorted position the mark line appears as a helical line and such that a worker can install the wire harness so that the mark line is maintained straight while watching the mark line, said mark line (14) having a coloring differing from that of said perimeter plane, so that existence of a distortion can be discriminated according to whether that mark line (14) is a straight line or not. The wire harness according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of straight mark lines are provided along along the length of the wire harness on the perimeter plane of the cover (T), said mark lines being provided at different locations on the perimeter plane of the cover (T). The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said mark line (14) is formed by coating applied with a marker pen. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said mark line (14) is formed by a paint. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said mark line (14) is formed by adhering an adhesive tape for coloring. A method of producing a wire harness (WH-1, WH-2) as defined in anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of: a) providing a wire harness (WH-1, WH-2) with a plurality of wires (W) bundled together and surrounded by a cover (T); b) removably fixing a drawing plate (16) with a straight elongated slit (16a) on the wire harness (WH-1, WH-2), said slit (16a) in parallel to the length axis of the wire harness; and c) inserting a marker pen (17) into slit (16a) and drawing a marker line (14) on the cover (T) of the wire harness (WH-1, WH-2) by moving the marker pen (17) along the slit (16a), wherein a straight mark line is formed such that in distorted position the mark line appears as a helical line and such that a worker can install the wire harness so that the mark line is maintained straight while watching the mark line. Method of producing a wire harness in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that step b) comprises the substeps: b1) fitting at least a portion of the wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) into at least two u-shaped holders (15); b2) covering the wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) in the holders (15) with the drawing plate (16); and b3) aligning the wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) with its lenght axis in parallel to the straight slit (16a). Method of producing a wire harness in accordance with claim 6 or 7, characterized in that steps b) and c) are repeated. A method of installing a wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) as defined in anyone of claims 1 to 5, said wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) having a normal position, wherein said wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) is untwisted, its branches (W1, W2, W3, W4) are of sufficient length to reach their intended connection points, and said mark line (14) appear as a straight line, and a distorted position, wherein said harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) has been twisted so that said branches (W1, W2, W3, W4) are of insufficient length to reach said connection points, and said mark line appears as a helical line, said method comprising counter rotating said wire harness (W/H-1, W/H-2) to a position at which said mark line (14) appearing as a helical line (14) becomes said straight line (14) and thereafter installing said harness (W/H-1, W/H-2).

Inventors: ATSUMI YASUSHI, IKUTA YUJI, MAKITO TAMIYUKI, SHIBATA HIDEAKI, ATSUMI, YASUSHI, IKUTA, YUJI, MAKITO, TAMIYUKI, SHIBATA, HIDEAKI, ATSUMI, YASUSHI, C/O SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., IKUTA, YUJI, C/O SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD., MAKITO, TAMIYUKI, C/O SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD., SHIBATA, HIDEAKI, C/O SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD.
Applicants: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B60R16
IPC codes: H01B7, H02G3, B60R16