Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-17
2001-02-20
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Combined
C174S135000, CD13S154000, C361S826000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191364
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a clamping construction for holding an automotive wiring harness in a specified position.
2. Description of the Related Art.
A known clamping construction for an automotive wiring harness is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG.
5
. Specifically, this prior art clamping construction is comprised roughly of a connector holder
1
on which an automotive wiring harness
2
is placed and a clamp
13
having a substantially semicircular cross section for holding the wiring harness
2
. One end
1
a
of the connector holder
1
and one end
13
a
of the clamp
13
are coupled via a hinge
17
.
At the other end of the connector holder
1
are formed a projecting guide
4
standing on the connector holder
1
and a lock claw
5
provided more toward the hinge
17
than the projecting guide
4
.
On the other hand, a rib
13
c
is formed on the outer surface of the clamp
13
, and an arm
13
d
continuous with the rib
13
c
is formed at an other end
13
b
of the clamp
13
. At the leading end of the arm
13
d
, a lock hole is formed in a position corresponding to the lock claw
5
.
The above described prior art clamping construction is used by opening the clamp
13
and placing the wiring harness
2
on the connector holder
1
to extend in a direction normal to the plane of FIG.
5
. Thereafter, the clamp
13
is rotated about the hinge
17
. At this time, the lock hole formed at the leading end of the arm
13
d
is guided to the lock claw
5
to be engaged therewith by the contact of the arm
13
d
and the projecting guide
4
with each other. When the clamp
13
is closed at the end of its rotation, the lock claw
5
and the lock hole are engaged.
By engaging the lock claw
5
of the connector holder
1
and the lock hole of the clamp
13
as above, the wiring harness
2
can be held on the connector holder
1
.
If a small load F
11
acts on an upper side of the contact surface, e.g. in a lateral or horizontal direction, the other end
13
b
and the arm
13
d
of the clamp
13
are easily movable. Thus, the other end
13
b
and the arm
13
d
are likely to be deformed, for example, when the clamp
13
is closed during the assembling or a small load acts in the lateral direction. Such a deformation may inadvertently disengage the lock claw
5
and the lock hole.
Due to the above readiness of the other end
13
b
and the arm
13
d
to deform (lacking rigidity), they often are deformed without being noticed by an operator during manual assembling. Such deformations of the other end
13
b
and the arm
13
d
cause the leading end of the arm
13
d
to move beyond the projecting guide
4
or not to reach the lock claw
5
when the clamp
13
is closed, with the result that the lock claw
5
and the lock hole cannot be engaged with each other. In such a case, an extra operation to engage the lock claw
5
and the lock hole is required.
Further, if it is not found out that the lock claw
5
and the lock hole are not engaged, the wiring harness
2
slackens in an automotive vehicle. This may give rise to vibration and unnecessary noises or damage the wiring harness
2
itself.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a clamping construction for an automotive vehicle which can more securely hold the automotive wiring harness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a clamping construction for an automotive wiring harness, comprising a base on which an automotive wiring harness is placed or placeable or positioned. A clamp has one end (first end) thereof coupled with the base and is adapted to hold the automotive wiring harness. A locking construction is provided for coupling the base and the clamp or for locking them in a substantially closed position. A projecting guide is provided on the base for guiding the clamp to a coupling position where the clamp and the base are coupled, and a projected portion is provided on the clamp to correspond to or mate with the projecting guide. The projected portion is formed such that a contact portion thereof with the projecting guide extends at least to a projecting end of the projecting guide in the coupling position. Alternatively the longitudinal length of the projected portion is substantially equal to or greater than the contact length of the projected portion with the projecting guide .
As described in detail above, the maximum permissible ranges of the clamp and the projected portion in response to the load vertically acting on the contact surface of the projected portion and the projecting guide can be increased. That is the strength of the clamp and the projected portion in response to the load e.g. vertically acting on the contact surface of the projected portion and the projecting guide can be increased by extending the contact portion of the projected portion to a projecting end of the projecting guide. Further, deformations of the clamp and the projected portion caused by the vertically acting load can be reduced. Furthermore, a possibility that the base and the clamp are inadvertently disengaged due to the deformations of the clamp and the projected portion can substantially be eliminated. Consequently extra operations due to the above deformations during the coupling of the base and the clamp can be avoided.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the projected portion extends over the opposite side edges of the clamp. Accordingly, the projected portion is formed such that the contact portion thereof with the projecting guide extends to the projecting end of the projecting guide in the coupling position. As a result, a contact area of the projected portion and the projecting guide is at maximum. Thus, even if a load vertically acts on the contact surface, movements of the clamp and the projected portion in the load acting direction can be suppressed. This increases maximum permissible ranges of the clamp and the projected portion in response to the load vertically acting on the contact surface. More particularly, the strength of the clamp and the projected portion in response to the load e.g. vertically acting on the contact surface of the projected portion and the projecting guide can be increased by extending the contact portion of the projected portion to a projecting end of the projecting guide. As a result, deformations of the clamp and the projected portion caused by the vertically acting load can be reduced. Therefore, a possibility that the base and the clamp are inadvertently disengaged can substantially be eliminated.
By providing the projected portion on the clamp, the rigidity of the clamp is increased. Accordingly, a possibility of accidental deformations of the clamp and the projected portion during various manual assembling operations can be reduced. Thus, extra operations due to the above deformations during the coupling of the base and the clamp can be avoided.
Preferably, the base and the clamp are hinge-coupled.
With the above construction, the clamp can be coupled easily with the base by a simple construction.
Further preferably, the base and the clamp are hinge-coupled by a hinge integrally or unitarily formed between the base and the clamp.
With this construction, production processes can be simplified by integrally or unitarily forming the hinge between the base and the clamp.
Still further preferably, the locking construction comprises a male portion provided on either one of the base and the clamp and a female portion provided on the other of the two. With this construction, the lock construction can be simply constructed.
Still further preferably, the clamp comprises one or more ribs. Accordingly, the stiffness or rigidity of the clamp can be enhanced thus reducing the possibility of being deformed when exposed to a load, e.g. of the wiring harness. Most preferably, the ribs are provided on the outer surface or surface opposed to that partially in contact with or adjacent to the wiring harness.
These and other objects, features and advanta
Casella Anthony J.
Hespos Gerald E.
Kincaid Kristine
Nino Adolfo
Porco Michael J.
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