Patent Application
20160178089
This document relates generally to clips for mounting cables, wires, tubes and pipes to a support structure such as a motor vehicle body.
Various clips have been developed in the art to mount cables, wires, tubes or pipes to a body of a motor vehicle. In one prior art embodiment illustrated in
While useful for its intended purpose, this prior art design suffers from several drawbacks. First, the taping process adds to assembly time and cost. Second, the taping fixes the wire W to the elongated wire support S. Thus, there is no free sliding movement of the wire W with respect to the support S. Where the clip C is secured to a moving mechanism such as a front seat frame, this fixing of the wire W to the supports requires the use of an additional length of wire to accommodate the movement.
This document relates to a new and improved wire harness clip incorporating a plurality of integral wire retainers that allow one to quickly and easily secure a wire in the clip. Advantageously, this is accomplished while also allow sliding movement of the wire with respect to the clip. Such a device is particularly useful when the clip is mounted to a mechanism such as a front seat frame as it does not restrict movement of the frame, allows the use of an overall shorter length of wire when compared to the prior art clip C wherein the wire W is fixed by tape T to the clip and reduces assembly costs by eliminating the taping step.
In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a wire harness clip is provided. That wire harness clip comprises an elongated wire support, a plurality of wire retainers provided at spaced locations on that support and a mounting stud projecting from the elongated wire support.
In one possible embodiment, the elongated wire support includes a wire abutment surface and a plurality of wire retainers are aligned to engage and hold a wire on the abutment surface.
At least one wire retainer of the plurality of wire retainers includes opposed flexible flanges. The opposed flanges are arcuate and curved toward each other. Further a gap is provided between the opposed arcuate flanges.
In one possible embodiment, each of the opposed flanges is integrally molded with the elongated wire support and includes a base at the elongated wire support and a tip adjacent the gap.
The opposed bases are separated by a distance D1 and the opposed tips are separated by a distance D2 where D1>D2.
Further a wire held in the clip has a diameter D3 where D1>D3>D2 so that the wire is captured between the opposed flanges but has clearance to slide along the wire abutment surface within the opposed flanges.
In another possible embodiment, the mounting stud projects from a mounting side of the elongated wire support. That mounting side is opposite the wire abutment surface and the plurality of wire retainers. Further the mounting stud includes a series of aligned frustoconical ribs.
In accordance with an additional aspect, a wire harness clip comprises (a) an elongated wire support having a longitudinal axis, (b) a plurality of retainers that capture and hold a wire aligned on the elongated wire support while allowing the wire to slide along the longitudinal axis with respect to the elongated wire support and (c) a mounting stem projecting from the elongated wire support.
In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the wire harness clip. As it should be realized, the wire harness clip is capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the clip as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawing Figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the wire harness clip and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the wiring harness clip, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
Reference is now made to
In the illustrated embodiment each of the wire retainers 16 comprises opposed flexible flanges or lips 18. The opposed flanges 18 are arcuate and curve toward each other from a base 20 at the elongated wire support 12 to a tip 22. A gap G is formed between the two tips 22 of each opposed set of arcuate flanges 18.
As best illustrated in
A mounting stud 24 projects from a mounting side 26 of the elongated wire support 12. In the illustrated embodiment the mounting side 26 is opposite the wire abutment surface 14 and the plurality of wire retainers 16. It should be appreciated, however, that if required or preferred for any particular application, the mounting stud 24 could project from either or both of the sidewalls 28 of the elongated wire support 12 in an alternative embodiment.
In the illustrated embodiment the mounting stud 24 includes a series of aligned frustoconical ribs 30 and is of the fir tree or Christmas tree type that may be easily secured in an appropriately sized aperture in a component or body of a motor vehicle.
The wire harness clip 10 is relatively inexpensive to produce and may, for example, be molded from substantially any appropriate material. Appropriate materials include but are not necessarily limited to a polyamide such as nylon. Further it should be appreciated that the wire retainers 16 may be integrally molded with the elongated wire support 12 and the mounting stud 24 so that the wire harness clip 10 is of one-piece construction.
The wire harness clip 10 is easy to use. First the mounting stud 24 is aligned over a mounting aperture in the vehicle body or vehicle component to which it is to be mounted and pressure is then applied to force the stud into the aperture. The longitudinal axis L of the elongated wire support 12 is then oriented as desired and the wire W to be held in the wire harness 10 is pushed through the gap G of each wire retainer 16. As this is done, the flexible flanges or lips 18 spread to allow the passage of the wire W and then returned to their original position through resilient spring memory closing over the wire and securing the wire in position on the support 12.
As illustrated in
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
