Supports – Pipe or cable
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-11
2004-12-14
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Pipe or cable
C248S065000, C248S073000, C248S074400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06830225
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Art
The present invention relates to a device for fixing a wire harness which is installed in an automobile or the like, in such a manner that the wire harness can be bent smoothly in a three dimensional direction thereby to be prevented from being damaged.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5
shows an example of a conventional device for fixing a wire harness.
A device
76
for fixing a wire harness is intended to fix the wire harness
73
to a vehicle body or the like. The wire harness
73
is composed of a plurality of electric wires
72
covered with a corrugate tube
71
. The corrugate tube
71
is made of synthetic resin and formed into a thin-walled cylindrical shape. The corrugate tube
71
is rich in flexibility, having circumferential grooves and ridges which are alternately arranged at an equal pitch in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the tube.
The corrugate tube
71
serves as an electric wire protecting tube, and can be easily curved together with the plurality of the electric wires
72
in correspondence with a curved shape in two or three dimensions of a panel
75
of the vehicle body or the like which is a site
74
to be mounted, so that workability in installing the wire harness
73
can be enhanced.
There have been two types of the corrugate tube
71
, as to whether or not the corrugate tube is provided with a slit in a longitudinal direction. In the corrugate tube
71
of the type having the slit, the electric wire
72
can be easily inserted into the corrugate tube
71
through the slit. On the other hand, in the corrugate tube
71
of the type having no slit, an insertion work of the electric wire
72
is rather annoying, but there is no anxiety that the slit may be opened, and so, it is not necessary to wrap a vinyl tape around the corrugate tube
71
for preventing the slit from being opened.
The device
76
for fixing the wire harness is designed, for example, as a clamp for pressing the corrugate tube
71
onto the panel
75
at the mounted site
74
. The device
76
for fixing the wire harness has to be necessarily arranged along at least the curved areas of the mounted site
74
such as the vehicle body or the like. It is also possible to employ other fastening means such as a band, as the device for fixing the wire harness.
The device
76
for fixing the wire harness is fixed to the panel
75
at the mounted site
74
by means of flexible retaining clips, small screws and so on. The retaining clip (not shown) has a pair of flexible retaining pieces, and adapted to be inserted into a hole in the panel
75
to retain the device
76
. In case of using the small screw (not shown), the small screw which is inserted into a bracket of the device
76
is screwed into a threaded hole in the panel
75
to fix the device
76
for fixing the wire harness.
The wire harness
73
is installed along the curved face of the mounted site
74
of the vehicle body or the like, and the corrugate tube
71
surrounding the wire harness is firmly fixed to the mounted site
74
, employing a plurality of the devices
76
for fixing the wire harness arranged in a longitudinal direction. In this manner, the wire harness
73
is rigidly fixed to the mounted site
74
, and prevented from displacement caused by vibration during a drive of the vehicle, interference of the wire harness
73
with the vehicle body (the mounted site
74
), strange noises occurring therefrom, and so on.
The electric wires
72
inside the corrugate tube
71
are protected from rain water, dust and so on by the corrugate tube
71
, and at the same time, extended along the vehicle body (the mounted site
74
) up to predetermined positions such as an instrument panel, a floor, doors (hinged doors or sliding doors), etc. to be connected to their electric components or auxiliary parts by way of connectors.
However, the above described conventional device
76
for fixing the wire harness has had such a drawback that when the corrugate tube
71
has been fixed with the devices
76
to the curved areas of the mounted site
74
in a cubical shape, such as the vehicle body, in order to fix the wire harness
73
, the electric wires
72
as well as the corrugate tube
71
maybe crooked, and torsion may occur. As the corrugate tube itself has received a stress of this torsion, such problems has arisen that the corrugate tube
71
may be deformed or damaged, or the slit may be opened. When the slit has been opened, it has been concerned that the electric wires inside the corrugate tube
71
may be exposed to the exterior and stamped with a foot or the like, and water or dust may intrude from the open slit.
Moreover, there has been such an anxiety that the corrugate tube
71
may be worn or broken from rubbing against an end portion of the device
76
for fixing the wire harness due to a tensional force it has been receiving. Further, in case where the wire harness
73
has been installed at an acute angle, or violently swayed around the device
76
as a fulcrum, the wire harness
73
as well as the corrugate tube
71
has been liable to be deformed or rubbed against the end portion of the device
76
for fixing the wire harness, that is, at the opening from which the corrugate tube
71
has been guided out. In such cases, it has been a problem that the corrugate tube
71
and the electric wires
72
contained therein may be liable to be damaged.
Particularly, when the wire harness is installed along the vehicle body, for example, in a three dimensional shape, the wire harness tends to be bent or swayed vertically and laterally in all the directions. Therefore, it has been eagerly desired that the wire harness may be smoothly curved or swayed in correspondence with the shape, thereby to reliably prevent the wire harness from being worn or damaged due to its torsion or rub.
Although the corrugate tube has been referred to as the protective tube in the above described example of the prior art, such problems as described above are also liable to occur, even in case where other protective means beside the corrugate tube such a net-like tube made of synthetic resin, a soft covering material, or a vinyl tape have been employed.
In view of the above described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for fixing a wire harness which can reliably avoid a torsion of the wire harness, including a protective tube and electric wires, even though the wire harness has been bent or swayed in a three dimensional direction while the wire harness is being fixed or bent for installation, and can reliably prevent the protective tube and the electric wires from being rubbed or broken.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above described object, there is provided according to the present invention, a device for fixing a wire harness comprising a rotary member which holds the wire harness and has an arc-shaped face in a three dimensional direction on its outer peripheral face, and a body of the fixing device in which the rotary member is held so as to rotate in a three dimensional direction.
Owing to the above described structure, the rotary member holding the wire harness can rotate in a three dimensional direction inside the body of the fixing device, when the wire harness is being installed, bent or swayed. Thus, the wire harness will be smoothly bent in any direction in three dimensions. Moreover, torsion of the wire harness can be effectively absorbed, because the rotary member can rotate in all the directions. In this manner, an excessive bending force or torsional force will not affect the wire harness, and the wire harness will be reliably prevented from being deformed or damaged.
According to another aspect of the invention, in the device for fixing a wire harness, the rotary member has a spherical shape.
Owing to such structure, the rotary movement of the rotary member in the three dimensional direction will be smoothly performed with a constant force, and absorption of the bending force and torsional force by the rotation of the rotary me
Armstrong, Kratz, Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Weinhold Ingrid
Yazaki -Corporation
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