Patent Application
20130098660
The present invention relates to a technology to protect a branch portion of an electric wire bundle.
As a technology to protect a branch portion of an electric wire bundle, the branch portion of the electric wire bundle is sometimes housed inside a resin protector designed in advance.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a wire harness, which is formed by placing a flat circuit body between two covering bodies composed of a thermoplastic material and press-forming to adhere the covering bodies to the flat circuit body and weld the covering bodies.
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-197038
Such a protector above, however, has a uniform inner shape, which causes noise due to instability of the branch portion of the electric wire bundle housed inside and leads to a large outer shape. Patent Literature 1 merely discloses protection only for flat circuit bodies.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to protect a branch portion of an electric wire bundle using a thermoplastic material.
A first aspect provides an electric wire protection structure protecting a branch portion of an electric wire bundle, including a protection portion covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle, the protection portion being formed by heating and compressing a thermoplastic material in a state of covering at least the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A second aspect provides the electric wire protection structure according to the first aspect, in which the protection portion is formed by winding at least a portion of the thermoplastic material around at least a portion of the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in a state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A third aspect provides the electric wire protection structure according to the first or second aspect, in which the protection portion is formed by winding the thermoplastic material having a long band shape around the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in a state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A fourth aspect provides the electric wire protection structure according to the first or second aspect, in which the protection portion is formed by heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in a state of sandwiching and covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A fifth aspect provides the electric wire protection structure according to the first or second aspect, in which the protection portion is formed by winding the thermoplastic material having a cut around the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in a state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A sixth aspect provides a method of producing an electric wire protection structure protecting a branch portion of an electric wire bundle, including (a) a process of covering at least the branch portion of the electric wire bundle by a thermoplastic material; and (b) a process of heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in a state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle in the process (a).
A seventh aspect provides the method of producing the electric wire protection structure according to the sixth aspect, in which in the process (a), at least a portion of the thermoplastic material is wound around at least a portion of the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and the thermoplastic material covers the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
An eighth aspect provides the method of producing the electric wire protection structure according to the sixth or seventh aspect, in which in the process (a), the thermoplastic material having a long band shape is wound around the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and covers the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A ninth aspect provides the method of producing the electric wire protection structure according to the sixth or seventh aspect, in which in the process (a), the thermoplastic material sandwiches and covers the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
A tenth aspect provides the method of producing the electric wire protection structure according to the sixth or seventh aspect, in which in the process (a), the thermoplastic material having a cut is wound around the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and covers the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
According to the electric wire protection structure of the first aspect, the protection portion covers the branch portion of the electric wire bundle, the protection portion being formed by heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in the state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle. Thus, the thermoplastic material can protect the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
According to the electric wire protection structure of the second aspect, the protection portion is formed by winding at least a portion of the thermoplastic material around at least a portion of the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in the state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle. This positions the electric wire bundle relative to the thermoplastic material at least in one direction, thus preventing the electric wire bundle from being displaced relative to the thermoplastic material.
According to the electric wire protection structure of the third aspect, the protection portion is formed by winding the thermoplastic material having a long band shape around the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in the state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle. Thus, the thermoplastic material can protect the branch portion of the electric wire bundle even in a case where a branch shape is more complex.
According to the electric wire protection structure of the fourth aspect, the protection portion is formed by heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in the state of sandwiching and covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle. Thus, the thermoplastic material can protect the branch portion of the electric wire bundle in a simpler manner.
According to the electric wire protection structure of the fifth aspect, the protection portion is formed by winding the thermoplastic material having a cut around the branch portion of the electric wire bundle and heating and compressing the thermoplastic material in the state of covering the branch portion of the electric wire bundle. The thermoplastic material having a simple form can protect the branch portion of the electric wire bundle in a form fitted along an outer peripheral shape of the branch portion.
According to the method of producing the electric wire protection structure of the sixth aspect, the electric wire protection structure can be produced in which the thermoplastic material protects the branch portion of the electric wire bundle.
According to the method of producing the electric wire protection structure of the seventh aspect, at least a portion of the thermoplastic material is wound around at least a portion of the branch portion of the electric wire bundle. This positions the electric wire bundle relative to the thermoplastic material at least in one direction, thus preventing the electric wire bundle from being displaced relative to the thermoplastic material.
According to the method of producing the electric wire protection structure of the eighth aspect, the electric wire protection structure can be produced in which the thermoplastic material protects the branch portion of the electric wire bundle even in a case where a branch shape is more complex.
According to the method of producing the electric wire protection structure of the ninth aspect, the electric wire protection structure can be produced in which the thermoplastic material protects the branch portion of the electric wire bundle in a simpler manner.
According to the method of producing the electric wire protection structure of the tenth aspect, the electric wire protection structure can be produced in which the thermoplastic material having a simpler shape protects the branch portion of the electric wire bundle in a form fitted along an outer peripheral shape of the branch portion.
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An electric wire protection structure and a method of producing an electric wire protection structure according to embodiments are described. The present electric wire protection structure has a structure in which a thermoplastic material covers a branch portion of an electric wire bundle for protection and form maintenance.
An electric wire bundle is assumed to configure a wire harness routed in a vehicle and the like. The electric wire bundle is composed of a plurality of electric wires stacked adjacently in a radial direction (direction of plurality) to one another and bundled in substantially a circular or rectangular shape from a cross-sectional view. A branch portion of the electric wire bundle to be covered is a portion where electric wires extend in three directions, the portion having a shape in which one branch wire extends from a middle portion of a main wire or a shape in which an end portion of a main wire is split into two. The branch portion refers to an intersecting portion of the electric wire bundle. A linear portion extending therefrom is referred to as a branch wire.
An electric wire protection structure 10a according to a first embodiment is first described (refer to
Hot-pressing is a process in which a thermoplastic material, which is an object to be processed, is placed between molds and pressured in a state where the molds are heated to form a nonwoven material. More specifically, a pair of molds is preferably used, which has a mold surface to form the protection portion 20a corresponding to a branch shape of the electric wire bundle W. Specifically, a nonwoven material 2a which covers the electric wire bundle W is placed on one of the molds. While the pair of molds is heated, the other mold is moved closely relative to the mold to form the nonwoven material 2a. Thus, the electric wire protection structure 10a is produced in which the electric wire bundle W is covered by the protection portion 20a composed of the hardened thermoplastic material. The molds are not limited to a pair of molds, but may be molds divided into three or more.
The thermoplastic material is described below. The thermoplastic material is a material which is melted or softened partially or entirely by heating and is solidified by cooling. The thermoplastic material is formed or adhered while it is heated to be in a melted or softened state and is then cooled. Thus, the thermoplastic material can maintain a predetermined shape into which it is formed or adhered. A nonwoven material is used for description herein as an example of the thermoplastic material.
A nonwoven material capable of being hardened through a heating process can be used. Such a nonwoven material may include an elementary fiber and an adhesive resin (also referred to as a binder). The adhesive resin has a melting point lower than that of the elementary fiber. The nonwoven material is heated at a temperature lower than the melting point of the elementary fiber and higher than the melting point of the adhesive resin, and thereby the adhesive resin is melted and infiltrated into the elementary fiber. Thereafter, the temperature of the nonwoven material is lowered, and then the adhesive resin is solidified. Thus, the nonwoven material is heated and hardened so as to be maintained in a formed state at the time of heating. The nonwoven material is normally formed into a sheet shape (also referred to as nonwoven fabric) and is assumed to have a sheet shape in the description below.
Other than a resin fiber, various fibers capable of holding a fibrous state at the melting point of the adhesive resin may be used as the elementary fiber. Furthermore, a thermoplastic resin fiber, which has a melting point lower than the elementary fiber, may be used as the adhesive resin. An exemplary combination of the elementary fiber and the adhesive resin may include a resin fiber composed of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) as the elementary fiber and a copolymer resin composed of PET and PEI (polyethylene isophthalate) as the adhesive resin.
Specifically, the protection portion 20a is formed by hot-pressing the nonwoven material 2a, which is the thermoplastic material above, in a state where it covers at least the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W. More specifically, at least a portion of the nonwoven material 2a is wound around at least a portion of the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W, and the nonwoven material 2a is hot-pressed in the state of covering the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W. That the nonwoven material 2a is wound around means that the nonwoven material 2a is bent along an outer peripheral surface of the electric wire bundle W. Preferably, the nonwoven material 2a is wound half around the electric wire bundle 2a. Thus, the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W is covered by the protection portion 20a, which is a portion composed of the hardened nonwoven material 2a. In other words, the protection portion 20a protects the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W from outside while maintaining a shape thereof so as to prevent from deformation. The protection portion 20a should cover at least the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W, and may be formed so as to partially cover the branch wire Wr extending from the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W.
In the electric wire protection structure 10a, the protection portion 20a is formed by winding the nonwoven material 2a having a long band shape around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W and hot-pressing the nonwoven material 2a in the state where it covers the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W (refer to
The long-band-shaped nonwoven material 2a is wound around the electric wire bundle W as described below (refer to
In the state where the nonwoven material 2a covers the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W as described above, the nonwoven material 2a is hot-pressed to form the electric wire protection structure 10a. The nonwoven material 2a herein is adhered in the overlapped portions with melted adhesive resin and is held in a wound shape.
The nonwoven material 2a is hardened in the state where the long-band-shaped nonwoven material 2a is shifted and overlapped on the outer periphery of the electric wire bundle W. Thus, linear traces T of a side end portion of the long-band-shaped nonwoven material 2a are left in the surface of the protection portion 20a. The linear traces T are indicated with dashed-two dotted lines in
An electric wire protection structure 10b according to a second embodiment is then described (refer to
In the electric wire protection structure 10b according to the second embodiment, a protection portion 20b is formed by hot-pressing a nonwoven material 2b in a state of covering the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W in between.
In the present embodiment, the nonwoven material 2b also covers portions adjacent to the branch portion Ws in between of the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W (refer to
In the state where the nonwoven material 2b covers the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W as described above, the nonwoven material 2b is hot-pressed to form the electric wire protection structure 10b. The nonwoven material 2b herein is adhered with melted adhesive resin in portions extending to sides of the electric wire bundle W in a state of having the electric wire bundle W in between and is held in a shape in which the electric wire bundle W is provided in between.
The nonwoven material 2b is formed as being hardened covering the outer periphery of the electric wire bundle W and being hardened in a shape in which the extra portions on the sides of the electric wire bundle W extend in a plate shape.
Electric wire protection structures 10c and 10d according to a third and fourth embodiments are then described (refer to
In the electric wire protection structures 10c and 10d according to the third and fourth embodiments, protection portions 20c and 20d are formed by winding nonwoven materials 2c and 2d having cuts C around the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W and hot-pressing the nonwoven materials 2c and 2d in a state of covering the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W. The cuts C are provided to allow the nonwoven materials 2c and 2d to be wound around the branch portions Ws such that portions divided by the cuts C overlap other portions on the outer peripheries of the branch portions Ws. In the present embodiments, portions of the nonwoven materials 2c and 2d that include the portions divided by the cuts C are wound around the branch portions Ws or the branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundles W and are hot-pressed and formed in a partially overlapped state.
In the electric wire protection structure 10c according to the third embodiment, the protection portion 20c is formed by hot-pressing the nonwoven material 2c having substantially a rectangular sheet shape and provided with the cuts C in the state of being wound around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W (refer to
In the present embodiment, the nonwoven material 2c is wound around so as to cover portions adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W (refer to
The nonwoven material 2c is wound around the electric wire bundle W as described below. First, the one end portion of the nonwoven material 2c is mainly wound around the one branch wire Wr of the electric wire bundle W. More specifically, side end portions of the one end portion from the cuts C, which is a free end portion relative to the other end portion with the cuts C provided, are brought proximate to each other to wrap around the one branch wire Wr above and overlap each other. In this state, an end edge portion of the one end side of the cuts C of the nonwoven material 2c also partially covers the branch portion Ws adjacent to the one branch wire Wr.
Subsequently, the other end portion from the cuts C of the nonwoven material 2c is wound around the branch portion Ws and portions adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the other two branch wires Wr. More specifically, the other end portion of the nonwoven material 2c is wound around such that the other end portion is brought proximate to an end edge portion of the other end side of the cuts C. Then, the other end portion of the nonwoven material 2c is overlapped on the end edge portion of the one end side of the cuts C wound around the one branch wire Wr and on the end edge portion of the other end side of the cuts C to be wound around the branch portion Ws and the two branch wires Wr.
In the state where the nonwoven material 2c covers the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W as described above, the nonwoven material 2c is hot-pressed to form the electric wire protection structure 10c. The nonwoven material 2c herein is adhered in the overlapped portions with melted adhesive resin and is held in a wound shape.
The one end portion from the cuts C of the nonwoven material 2c is hardened in the state where it covers the one branch wire Wr and a portion of the branch portion Ws and the both side end portions overlap. The other end portion from the cuts C of the nonwoven material 2c is hardened in the state where it covers the branch portion Ws and the other two branch wires Wr and overlaps the end edge portion of the other end side of the cuts C of the nonwoven material 2c and the end edge portion of the one end side that overlaps on the outer periphery of the branch portion Ws. Thus, in the protection portion 20c, linear traces T of the sides of the nonwoven material 2c are left in the surface of the portion that covers the one branch wire Wr and linear traces T of the other side of the nonwoven material 2c are left in the surface of the portion that covers the branch portion Ws and the other two branch wires Wr. The linear traces T are indicated with dashed-two dotted lines in
In the electric wire protection structure 10d according to the fourth embodiment, the protection portion 20d is formed by hot-pressing the nonwoven material 2d having substantially a rectangular sheet shape and provided with the cut C in the state of being wound around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W (refer to
In the present embodiment, the nonwoven material 2d is wound around so as to cover portions adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the branch portion Ws and the two branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W (refer to
The nonwoven material 2d is wound around the electric wire bundle W as described below. Specifically, the other end portion from the cut C of the nonwoven material 2d is wound around the branch portion Ws and the two branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W. Furthermore, portions of the one end side divided by the cut C are wound around the two branch wires Wr and a portion of the branch portion Ws adjacent thereto with the other one branch wire Wr therebetween. Then, each of the one end portions of the nonwoven material 2d is overlapped on the other end portion. Specifically, the other end portion and each of the divided one end portions of the nonwoven material 2d are overlapped on the portion of the branch portion Ws adjacent to the two branch wires Wr.
In the state where the nonwoven material 2d covers the branch portion Ws and the two branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W as described above, the nonwoven material 2d is hot-pressed to form the electric wire protection structure 10d. The nonwoven material 2d herein is adhered in the overlapped portions with melted adhesive resin and is held in a wound shape.
The nonwoven material 2d is hardened in the state where it covers the two branch wires Wr and a portion of the branch portion Ws adjacent thereto and the other end portion and each of the one end portions divided by the cut C overlap. Thus, in the protection portion 20d, linear traces T of the other side and end edge portions of the cut C of the nonwoven material 2d are left in the surface of the portion that covers the two respective branch wire Wr. The linear traces T are indicated with dashed-two dotted lines in
Other than the above-described branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W, an electric wire protection structure that protects a branch portion Ws where three branch wires Wr branch out at different angles can be produced in a similar manner to production of the above electric wire protection structures 10a to 10d.
With respect to the electric wire protection structures 10a, 10c, and 10d, the structures are described where the protection portions 20a, 20c, and 20d protect the portions adjacent to the branch portions Ws in the two or three branch wires Wr, in addition to the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W. A protection portion may have a structure that protects only the branch portion Ws.
Specifically, the electric wire protection structure 10a according to the first embodiment may be produced by hooking the long-band-shaped nonwoven material 2a around each split portion of the branch wires Wr to wind only around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W. The electric wire protection structure 10b according to the third embodiment may be produced, using a nonwoven material having a reduced one end portion of the cuts C and width dimension between the sides in accordance with the branch portion Ws, by winding the other end portion of the cuts C only around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W and winding the side end portions of the one end portion around to overlap the other end portion on the outer periphery of the branch portion Ws. The electric wire protection structure 10d according to the fourth embodiment may be produced, using a nonwoven material having a reduced width dimension between the sides in accordance with the branch portion Ws, by winding the other end portion of the nonwoven material only around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W and winding the both side portions of the cut C around with one branch wire Wr therebetween to overlap the other end portion on the outer periphery of the branch portion Ws.
In addition, according to the methods of producing the electric wire protection structures 10a and 10b of the first and second embodiments, an electric wire protection structure that protects a branch portion where four or more branch wires extend can also be produced.
According to the electric wire protection structures 10a to 10d, the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W can be protected by the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d. In the structures where the branch wires Wr, in addition to the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W, are covered by the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d, heated molds can be prevented from directly facing the electric wire bundles W when hot-pressing the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d, thus preventing burning of the electric wire bundles W.
The protection portions 20a to 20d are formed by winding the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d at least partially wound around the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W and hot-pressing the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d in the state of covering the branch portions Ws of the electric wire bundles W. Accordingly, the electric wire bundles W are positioned at least on one side relative to the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d, thus preventing displacement of the electric wire bundles W relative to the nonwoven materials 2a to 2d (protection portion 20a to 20d).
According to the electric wire protection structure 10a and the method of producing the same according to the first embodiment, in particular, the protection portion 20a is formed by winding the long-band-shaped nonwoven material 2a around the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W and heating and compressing the nonwoven material 2a in the state of covering the branch portion Ws of the electric wire bundle W. This increases flexibility in winding the nonwoven material 2a, thus ensuring further to cover the protected portion of the electric wire bundle W even in a case of a complex shape. Hot-pressing the nonwoven material 2a in the state of covering the electric wire bundle W protects and maintains the shape of the portion adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W in a shape fitted along an outer peripheral shape of the electric wire bundle W even in a case where a branch shape is more complex.
According to the electric wire protection structure 10b and the method of producing the same according to the second embodiment, the protected portion of the electric wire bundle W is simply sandwiched by the nonwoven material 2b so as to be covered. Thus, the nonwoven material 2b can protect and maintain the shape of the portion adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W in a simpler manner.
According to the electric wire protection structure 10c and the method of producing the same according to the third embodiment, the sheet-shaped nonwoven material 2c provided with two cuts C is used to readily wind around and cover the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W. This allows hot-pressing in the shape fitted along the outer peripheral shape of the electric wire bundle W and protects and maintains the shape of the portion adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the branch portion Ws and the three branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W in the shape fitted along the outer peripheral shape of the electric wire bundle W.
According to the electric wire protection structure 10d and the method of producing the same according to the fourth embodiment, the nonwoven material 2c having a simpler shape provided with only one cut C is used to readily wind around and cover the branch portion Ws and the two branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W. This allows hot-pressing in the shape fitted along the outer periphery of the electric wire bundle W and protects and maintains the shape of the portion adjacent to the branch portion Ws of the branch portion Ws and the two branch wires Wr of the electric wire bundle W in the shape fitted along the outer peripheral shape of the electric wire bundle W.
The electric wire protection structures 10a to 10d and the methods of producing the same are described in detail above. The descriptions above, however, are presented merely as examples in all aspects and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is construed that countless modifications not illustrated could be assumed without deviating from the scope of the present invention.
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d: Nonwoven material
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C: Cut
W: Electric wire bundle
Ws: Branch portion
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-178450 | Aug 2010 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2011/062579 | 6/1/2011 | WO | 00 | 1/4/2013 |
