Patent Description:
Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, when there is a change in the space between a wire and its peripheral components due to external input applied during traveling, the protection target part of the wire may be covered with a protector in order to prevent interference between the wire and the peripheral components. For example, such a protector is disclosed in <CIT>. Such a protector is also disclosed in <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

By the way, on vehicles, crash tests are conducted in which impact loads are applied from the outside. Among various types of wires installed in vehicles, there are some types that may interfere with peripheral components when impact loads are applied to the car body in crash tests, even though the wires do not interfere with the peripheral components by external input applied during normal traveling. It is desirable for the protector to also have a wire protection function against such impact loads.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a protector with a wire protection function for the input of impact loads.

In order to achieve the above mentioned object, a protector according to one aspect of the present invention is found in claim <NUM>.

The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a protector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note, however, that the present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

One embodiment of a protector according to the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG>.

Reference sign <NUM> in <FIG> indicates the protector of the present embodiment. The protector <NUM> is a wire protection component for enabling protection of a protection target part We1 by housing the protection target part We1 of a wire (hereinafter, referred to as "protection target wire") We that is a protection target of the protector <NUM> itself, preventing interference between the protection target part We1 and its peripheral components, and the like. The protection target part We1 is an area where the space with respect to the peripheral component changes due to external input applied during normal traveling, which is a place where interference with the peripheral component is concerned due to the change in the space.

The protector <NUM> is assembled to the protection target wire We, and configures a wire harness WH together with the protection target wire We (<FIG>). The wire harness WH is loaded on a vehicle such as an automobile and routed along vehicle structural components (car body structures configuring the car body, components fixed to the body structures, and the like). For example, the wire harness WH illustrated herein is routed in an engine compartment along a wall face Bd1 of a dash panel Bd that is one of the car body structures.

The protector <NUM> is molded with an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The protector <NUM> includes a protector main body <NUM> in which the protection target part We1 of the protection target wire We is housed (<FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>). The protector main body <NUM> is the part to be the main body of the protector <NUM>, and protects the protection target part We1 from the peripheral components during normal traveling. Therefore, the protector main body <NUM> has an internal space for housing and routing the protection target part We1. For example, the protector main body <NUM> illustrated herein includes: a housing member <NUM> that houses and routes the protection target part We1 inserted from an insertion port; and a cover member <NUM> that is assembled to the housing member <NUM> and closes the insertion port (<FIG>). The protector main body <NUM> illustrated herein is, for example, screw-fixed to the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd.

The protector <NUM> also includes a protrusion housing body <NUM> that is connected to the protector main body <NUM> and houses a protrusion Pr from the wall face of the peripheral component disposed in the surroundings of the protector main body <NUM> (<FIG>). The protrusion housing body <NUM> prevents the peripheral component disposed in the surroundings of the protrusion Pr from interfering with the protrusion Pr.

In this example, the dash panel Bd exists as a peripheral component in the surroundings of the protector main body <NUM>, and a stud bolt made of metal protrudes from the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd as the protrusion Pr toward the front side of the vehicle within the engine compartment. Thus, the protrusion housing body <NUM> discussed herein houses the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr therein to prevent interference between the protrusion Pr and the peripheral component of the protrusion Pr.

For example, in the engine compartment discussed herein, a high-voltage wire (hereinafter, referred to as "external wire") Weh, which is a different wire from the protection target wire We that carries low-voltage electricity, and which carries higher-voltage electricity compared to the protection target wire We, is routed on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr (<FIG>). In other words, the external wire Weh and the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr are disposed opposing to each other with a space provided therebetween in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The external wire Weh may be a wire that is concerned about interfering with the protrusion Pr due to changes in the space with respect to the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr caused by external input applied during normal traveling. Furthermore, the external wire Weh may be capable of maintaining the space to be in a size that does not cause interference with the protrusion Pr, even when there is a change in the space with respect to the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr caused due to external input applied during normal traveling.

In the meantime, during a crash test of the vehicle, an impact load greater than external output during normal traveling is applied to the car body. Therefore, when such an impact load is applied to the car body, the change in the space between the components becomes greater than that of normal driving. For example, in a vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle that uses an electric motor as a drive source, during a frontal crash test, the impact load applied to the front side of the vehicle causes the powertrain such as an internal combustion engine and transmission pushed from the car body or the like to move toward the dash panel Bd side, and the external electric wire Weh also moves together with the powertrain toward the dash panel Bd side. Therefore, when that impact load is applied to the car body, the space between the external wire Weh and the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr becomes much narrower than that of normal driving, so that there is a concern about interference caused therebetween. The protrusion housing body <NUM> discussed herein is provided to protect the external wire Weh from the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr when such an impact load is applied from the front side of the vehicle.

Specifically, the protrusion housing body <NUM> includes: a first wall body <NUM> in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the protrusion Pr inserted from a first opening 21a at one end; and a second wall body <NUM> that closes a second opening at another end of the first wall body <NUM> (<FIG>). The protrusion housing body <NUM> discussed herein is disposed such that the cylinder axis direction of the first wall body <NUM> is aligned with the front-rear direction of the vehicle (in other words, the protruding direction of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr) and the first opening 21a is facing toward the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd.

The first wall body <NUM> is formed as a cylindrical body configured with a U-shaped first wall part 21b that is protruding toward the upper side of the vehicle and a flat-plate shaped second wall part 21c that closes the U-shaped opening (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>).

Furthermore, the protrusion housing body <NUM> is formed such that the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr does not break through the second wall body <NUM> even when an annular end face 21d of the first wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) and the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd come in contact. Thus, in order to prevent the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from contacting the second wall body <NUM>, the first wall body <NUM> is formed as a cylindrical body that is longer in the cylinder axis direction than the maximum protrusion amount of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from the wall face of the peripheral component (wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd) (<FIG>).

The second wall body <NUM> is formed as a flat-plate shaped wall body that closes the second opening at the other end of the first wall body <NUM>. Furthermore, the second wall body <NUM> is interposed between the external wire Weh and the tip of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr (<FIG>). Note that the second wall body <NUM> may be, for example, formed by locally thinning the thickness of the flat-plate shaped wall body to be away from the tip of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr, or may be formed as a convex plate part that is bulged outward to be away from the tip of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr.

As described, even when an impact load is applied from the front side of the vehicle, the protrusion housing body <NUM> keeps the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr housed therein, and prevents the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from contacting the external wire Weh. Therefore, the protector <NUM> according to the present embodiment can have not only the original wire protection function of protecting the protection target part We1 of the protection target wire We with the protector main body <NUM>, but also the wire protection function of protecting the external wire Weh from the protrusion (stud bolts) Pr when an impact load is applied to the vehicle from the outside.

Furthermore, the rigidity of the protrusion housing body <NUM> according to the present embodiment can be improved by closing the second opening at the other end of the first wall body <NUM> in a cylindrical shape with the second wall body <NUM>. Therefore, the protrusion housing body <NUM> can keep its shape and prevent the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr inside thereof from contacting the external wire Weh even when the external wire Weh collides with the protrusion housing body <NUM> when an impact load is applied to the vehicle from the outside, thereby making it possible to improve the protection function of the external wire Weh. From another viewpoint, if it is possible to provide desired rigidity only with a certain size of the first wall body <NUM>, by providing the second wall body <NUM> to the first wall body <NUM> formed in a size smaller than that, the protrusion housing body <NUM> can reduce the body size and still ensure the protection function of the external wire Weh.

Note here that the second wall body <NUM> is formed to have lower rigidity than the first wall body <NUM> and may be bent by the load received from the external wire Weh. The load which the second wall body <NUM> receives from the external wire Weh is caused by the impact load applied in the crash test of the vehicle (the previous frontal crash test). In the protrusion housing body <NUM>, when an impact load is applied to the vehicle from the outside and the external wire Weh inputs a load to the second wall body <NUM>, the second wall body <NUM> bends to absorb the input load and reduces the force that is transmitted from the second wall body <NUM> to the first wall body <NUM>. This allows this protrusion housing body <NUM> to ease the load received from the external wire Weh caused due to the impact load, so that the protection function of the external wire Weh can be improved.

Even when the second wall body <NUM> of the protrusion housing body <NUM> brakes by the load received from the external wire Weh, the first wall body <NUM> can receive the load. Furthermore, even when the annular end face 21d on the first opening 21a side further comes in contact with the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd, the protrusion housing body <NUM> does not allow the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr to be pushed out of the second opening of the first wall body <NUM> due to the length of the first wall body <NUM> in the cylinder axis direction. Therefore, the protrusion housing body <NUM> can maintain the protection function of the external wire Weh even if something happens.

For example, in the protrusion housing body <NUM>, by making the thickness of the second wall body <NUM> thinner than that of the first wall body <NUM>, the rigidity of the second wall body <NUM> is lowered compared to that of the first wall body <NUM> such that the second wall body <NUM> is easily bent by the load from the external wire Weh. The protrusion housing body <NUM> may be formed in this manner to have a difference in the rigidly between the second wall body <NUM> and the other parts, or the difference in the rigidity may be generated as in the following example.

The protrusion housing body <NUM> discussed herein includes: a third wall body <NUM> that is disposed on an inner side the first wall body <NUM> with its outer peripheral face opposing, with a space, to the inner peripheral face of the first wall body <NUM>, and surrounds the protrusion Pr inserted from the first opening 21a of the first wall body <NUM>; and a plurality of connecting wall bodies <NUM> that are arranged around the axis of the cylinder of the first wall body <NUM> for connecting the inner peripheral face of the first wall body <NUM> and the outer peripheral face of the third wall body <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>).

The third wall body <NUM> discussed herein is formed as a U-shaped wall body similar to the first wall part 21b of the first wall body <NUM>, with two end parts on the opening side of the U shape connected to the second wall part 21c of the first wall body <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>). Furthermore, the opening of the third wall body <NUM> on the second wall body <NUM> side is closed by the second wall body <NUM>.

The connecting wall body <NUM> discussed herein is formed to extend from the end part of the third wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side to the second wall body <NUM>, and is connected also to the second wall body <NUM> (<FIG>).

Although not illustrated in the drawings, the third wall body <NUM> may be formed as a cylindrical body similar to and coaxial with the first wall body <NUM>. In other words, the protrusion housing body <NUM> may employ a double-walled structure with the first wall body <NUM> in a cylindrical shape and the third wall body <NUM> in a cylindrical shape.

The second wall body <NUM> in the protrusion housing body <NUM> is desirable to be formed to have lower rigidity than that of a rigid body configured with the first wall body <NUM>, the third wall body <NUM>, and the connecting wall bodies <NUM> so as to be bent by the load received from the external wire Weh. In the protrusion housing body <NUM>, when an impact load is applied to the vehicle from the outside and the external wire Weh inputs a load to the second wall body <NUM>, the second wall body <NUM> bends to absorb the input load and a reduced force transmits from the second wall body <NUM> to the rigid body configured with the first wall body <NUM>, the third wall body <NUM>, and the connecting wall bodies <NUM>. This allows the protrusion housing body <NUM> to ease the load received from the external wire Weh caused due to the impact load, so that the protection function of the external wire Weh can be improved.

By the way, the protrusion housing body <NUM> is desirable to make the space between the inner peripheral face of the first wall body <NUM> and the outer peripheral face of the third wall body <NUM> narrower than the tip shape of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr. Furthermore, the third wall body <NUM> is desirable to be formed such that an end face 23a on the first opening 21a side is disposed offset toward the second wall body <NUM> side than the first opening 21a, and the end face 23a on the first opening 21a side is formed as a tapered face sloping from its own outer peripheral face side to inner peripheral face side (<FIG> and <FIG>). Thereby, when inserting the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from the first opening 21a at the time of assembling the protector <NUM> to the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd, the protrusion housing body <NUM> can avoid catching the tip of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr during the insertion and allows it to be inserted into the inner side. In other words, in the protrusion housing body <NUM>, the space between the inner peripheral face of the first wall body <NUM> and the outer peripheral face of the third wall body <NUM> is formed narrower than the tip shape of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr for making it possible to avoid mis-insertion of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr therebetween. Furthermore, in the protrusion housing body <NUM>, by disposing the end face 23a of the third wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side on a deeper side than the first opening 21a and forming the end face 23a in a tapered face toward the inner side of the third wall body <NUM>, the end face 23a can be shaped to catch the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr and guide the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr toward the inner side of the third wall body <NUM>. Therefore, the protrusion housing body <NUM> can improve the workability of assembly when inserting the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr.

Note here that, in the protrusion housing body <NUM>, each of the connecting wall bodies <NUM> also has a tapered face. In other words, an end face 24a of the connecting wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side is: connected, on the first wall body <NUM> side, to the end face 21d of the first wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side; connected, on the third wall body <NUM> side, to the end face 23a of the third wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side; and formed as a tapered face sloping from the first wall body <NUM> side to the third wall body <NUM> side (<FIG> and <FIG>). Therefore, in the protrusion housing body <NUM>, the end face 24a of the connecting wall body <NUM> on the first opening 21a side also functions as a shape to catch the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr, thereby making it possible to further improve the workability of assembly when inserting the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr.

As described above, the protector <NUM> according to the present embodiment has the protection function of protecting the external wire Weh from the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr caused due to the input of an impact load. Furthermore, the protector <NUM> can achieve the wire protection function by the protrusion housing body <NUM> together with the reduction in the body size of the protrusion housing body <NUM>. Moreover, the protector <NUM> is designed such that the protrusion housing body <NUM> does not hinder the workability of assembly to the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd.

Like the protector <NUM> according to the embodiment described above, a protector <NUM> according to a modification example includes: a protector main body <NUM> in which a protection target part We1 of a protection target wire We is housed; and a protrusion housing body <NUM> that houses a protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from the wall face of the peripheral component (wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd) disposed in the surroundings of the protector main body <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>).

While different in shape from the protector main body <NUM> of the embodiment, the protector main body <NUM> of the modification example, like the protector main body <NUM>, includes a housing member <NUM> that houses and routes the protection target part We1 inserted from the insertion port, and a cover member <NUM> that is assembled to the housing member <NUM> and closes the insertion port thereof (<FIG>), and protects the protection target part We1 from the peripheral component during normal traveling. The protector main body <NUM> is, for example, screw-fixed to the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd.

Furthermore, while different in shape from the protrusion housing body <NUM> of the embodiment, the protrusion housing body <NUM> of the modification example, like the protrusion housing body <NUM>, prevents the peripheral component (external electric wire Weh) disposed in the surroundings of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from interfering with the protrusion Pr when an impact load is applied to the car body.

The protrusion housing body <NUM> of the modification example includes: a cylindrical first wall body <NUM>, in an angular cylindrical shape, that surrounds the protrusion Pr inserted from a first opening 121a at one end; and a second wall body <NUM>, in a rectangular flat-plate shape, that closes a second opening at another end of the first wall body <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>). Like the protrusion housing body <NUM> of the embodiment, the protrusion housing body <NUM> is disposed such that the cylinder axis direction of the first wall body <NUM> is aligned with the front-rear direction of the vehicle (the protruding direction of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr) and the first opening 121a is facing toward the wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd. Furthermore, like the protrusion housing body <NUM> of the embodiment, the protrusion housing body <NUM> has the second wall body <NUM> interposed between the external wire Weh and the tip of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr.

Furthermore, the protrusion housing body <NUM> of the modification example includes: a third wall body <NUM> that is disposed on the inner side of the first wall body <NUM> with its outer peripheral face opposing, with a space, to the inner peripheral face of the first wall body <NUM>, and houses the protrusion Pr inserted from the first opening 121a of the first wall body <NUM>; and a plurality of connecting wall bodies <NUM> that are arranged around the axis of the cylinder of the first wall body <NUM> for connecting the inner peripheral face of the first wall body <NUM> and the outer peripheral face of the third wall body <NUM> (<FIG>).

Like the first wall body <NUM> of the embodiment, the first wall body <NUM> of the modification example is formed as a cylindrical body that is longer in the direction of the cylinder axis than the maximum protrusion amount of the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from the wall face of the peripheral component (wall face Bd1 of the dash panel Bd) to prevent the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr from contacting the second wall body <NUM> (<FIG>).

Like the second wall body <NUM> of the embodiment, the second wall body <NUM> of the modification example is formed to have lower rigidity than that of the rigid body configured with the first wall body <NUM>, the third wall body <NUM>, and the connecting wall bodies <NUM> so as to be bent by the load received from the external wire Weh. Note that the second wall body <NUM> does not necessarily have to be a flat-plate shaped wall body, as in the case of the second wall body <NUM> according to the embodiment.

The third wall body <NUM> of the modification example is formed as a U-shaped wall body similar to the three wall parts arranged opposing to three of the four flat-plate shaped wall parts of the first wall body <NUM> with a space provided therebetween, and the two end parts on the opening side of the U shape are connected to the remaining wall part of the first wall body <NUM> (<FIG>). Furthermore, the opening of the third wall body <NUM> on the second wall body <NUM> side is closed by the second wall body <NUM>.

The connecting wall body <NUM> of the modification example is formed to extend from the end part of the third wall body <NUM> on the first opening 121a side to the second wall body <NUM>, and is connected also to the second wall body <NUM>.

Although not illustrated in the drawings, the third wall body <NUM> may be formed as an angular cylindrical body similar to and coaxial with the first wall body <NUM>. In other words, the protrusion housing body <NUM> may employ a double-walled structure with the first wall body <NUM> in an angular cylindrical shape and the third wall body <NUM> in an angular cylindrical shape.

As described, like the protector <NUM> of the embodiment, the protector <NUM> according to the modification example has the protection function of protecting the external wire Weh from the protrusion (stud bolt) Pr caused due to the input of an impact load. Furthermore, like the protector <NUM> of the embodiment, the protector <NUM> can achieve the wire protection function by the protrusion housing body <NUM> together with the reduction in the body size of the protrusion housing body <NUM>.

Note here that the second wall body <NUM> of the modification example is disposed in a position where the space with respect to the external wire Weh is wider compared to the case of the second wall body <NUM> of the embodiment. Thus, a connector <NUM> provided at the terminal of a branch wire We2 from the protection target wire We is attached to the second wall body <NUM> of the modification example (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>). That connector <NUM> is, for example, in a size corresponding to the enlarged part of the space between the second wall body <NUM> and the external wire Weh.

The connector <NUM> is, by a holding structure <NUM> provided between the second wall body <NUM> and itself, assembled to the second wall body <NUM> and holds the assembled state (<FIG> and <FIG>). The holding structure <NUM> employs a sliding structure with which the connector <NUM> is assembled by sliding it along the outer wall face of the second wall body <NUM>. The holding structure <NUM> includes a first engagement part <NUM> provided on the second wall body <NUM>, and a second engagement part <NUM> provided on a resin casing 131a of the connector <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>).

The first engagement part <NUM> has a flexible piece part 141a in a rectangular flat-plate shape with flexibility (<FIG>). On the other hand, the second engagement part <NUM> has a guide rail part 142a that guides the flexible piece part 141a to an assembly completion position while sliding it (<FIG> and <FIG>). For example, the holding structure <NUM> allows a claw part protruding from the flexible piece part 141a of the first engagement part <NUM> and a claw part protruding from a flexible piece part 142b (<FIG>) of the second engagement part <NUM> to engage each other at the assembly completion position, thereby keeping the assembly state.

In the protrusion housing body <NUM>, when an impact load is applied to the vehicle from the outside and the external wire Weh inputs a load to the second wall body <NUM> via the connector <NUM>, the second wall body <NUM> bends to absorb the input load and the reduced force transmits from the second wall body <NUM> to the rigid body configured with the first wall body <NUM>, the third wall body <NUM>, and the connecting wall bodies <NUM>. This allows this protrusion housing body <NUM> to ease the load received from the external wire Weh caused due to the impact load, so that the protection function of the external wire Weh can be improved.

As described, the protector <NUM> of the modification example can also have the connector <NUM> assembled to the second wall body <NUM>, depending on the size of the space between the second wall body <NUM> and the external wire Weh.

Claim 1:
A protector (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
a protector main body (<NUM>, <NUM>) that is adapted to house a protection target part (We1) of a protection target wire (We); and
a protrusion housing body (<NUM>, <NUM>) that is connected to the protector main body (<NUM>, <NUM>) and adapted to house a protrusion (Pr) from a wall face (Bd1) of a peripheral component (Bd) disposed in a surrounding of the protector main body (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein
the protrusion housing body (<NUM>, <NUM>) includes: a first wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>), in a cylindrical shape, that is adapted to surround the protrusion (Pr) which may be inserted from a first opening (21a, 121a) at one end; and a second wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>) that closes a second opening at another end of the first wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>),
in order to be able to prevent the protrusion (Pr) from contacting the second wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>), the first wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>) is formed in a cylindrical body that is longer in a cylinder axis direction than a maximum protrusion amount of the protrusion (Pr) from the wall face (Bd1) of the peripheral component (Bd), and
the second wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>) is adapted to be interposed between an external wire (Weh) different from the protection target wire and a tip of the protrusion (Pr) disposed opposing to the external wire (Weh),
characterized in that the second wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>) is formed to have lower rigidity than the first wall body (<NUM>, <NUM>) to be bent by a load received from the external wire (Weh).