Supports – Pipe or cable – Brackets
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-24
2001-11-06
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Pipe or cable
Brackets
C248S071000, C248S074100, C411S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311934
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing device for attaching a wire harness to a vehicle body or a body panel.
2. Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 5
, there have been fixing devices of this kind. A fixing device
1
comprises an attachment plate
2
, a clip
3
standing in the middle of the attachment plate
2
, and a pair of stopper protrusions
7
at both ends of the attachment plate
2
. A wire harness W is secured to the attachment plate
2
with tape a.
The clip
3
is made up of a supporting pillar
4
and a pair of stopper wings
5
. Engaging protrusions
5
b
to be engaged with a stopper hole
6
a
of a body panel
6
are provided at the bottom of the stopper wings
5
. When the stopper wings
5
are inserted into the stopper hole
6
a
of the body panel
6
in the direction indicated by arrow A, the engaging protrusions
5
b
are engaged with the stopper hole
6
a
so as to prevent the stopper wings
5
from radially expanding, and edge portions
5
a
of the stopper wings
5
are engaged with the rim of the engaging hole
6
a
so that the stopper wings
5
can be secured to the body panel
6
.
The stopper protrusions
7
have such a height that the upper ends are in contact with the body panel
6
, and stand at both ends of the attachment plate
2
.
Thus, the clip
3
is inserted into the stopper hole
6
a
of the body panel
6
so as to support and secure the wire harness W, and the stopper protrusions
7
are brought into contact with the body panel
6
so as to securely hold the fixing device
In recent years, car manufacturers have tried to reduce production costs by reducing the number of components employed in manufacturing a vehicle. For instance, some car components are employed for several purposes.
However, there are some problems with such fixing devices of the prior art. If a wire harness fixing device is produced such that it can be attached to a thin body panel, the stopper protrusions come into contact with thicker portions of the body panel before the stopper wings are engaged with the rim of the stopper hole of the body panel, thereby hindering attachment of the fixing device.
On the other hand, as shown in
FIG. 6A
, a fixing device
1
′ is produced such that the stopper wings
5
are engaged with the rim of a stopper hole
6
a
′ of a thick body panel
6
A, and that the stopper protrusions
7
are in contact with the body panel
6
A. If such fixing device
1
′ is attached to a thin body panel
6
B, as shown in
FIG. 6B
, there will be a gap h between the body panel
6
B and the stopper protrusions
7
, causing the fixing device
1
′ to wobble or rotate around the clip
3
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness fixing device which never wobbles or rotates regardless of the thickness of a body panel to which the fixing device is attached.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wire harness fixing device which includes: an attachment plate to which a wire harness is secured by wrapping tape therearound; clips to be inserted into holes formed through a body panel; a pair of protrusions facing each other between which the clips are situated; and seating portions provided on the pair of protrusions. The edges of the body panel are seated onto the seating portions, which are taller at positions farther away from the clips.
In the above structure, the pair of protrusions facing each other on the attachment plate are provided with the seating portions, and the seating portions are made taller at positions farther from the clips. Accordingly, the distance between the seating portions is greater at a position closer to the top of the stopper protrusions. Meanwhile, the thickness of the body panel becomes smaller as the distance between the seating portions becomes greater. Since the thickness of the body panel can be changed depending on the distance between the edges of the body panel seated onto the seating portions, or the distance between the edges can be changed depending on the thickness, the fixing device will never wobble after being attached to the body panel. Moreover, the edges of the body panel are fastened between the seating portions, so as to prevent the fixing device from rotating around a clip.
The seating portions may be formed by a plurality of protrusions of different heights.
Since the seating portions are tapered and made up of a plurality of protrusions of different heights, they can be formed in accordance with the type of the body panel, to which the fixing device is to be attached, and protrusions provided outside the seated protrusion can prevent the fixing device from rotating. In such structure, the fixing device will never wobble or rotate around a clip.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3894706 (1975-07-01), Mizusawa
patent: 4358081 (1982-11-01), Notoya
patent: 4457482 (1984-07-01), Kitagawa
patent: 4811922 (1989-03-01), Yoneyama
patent: 4918261 (1990-04-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 4936530 (1990-06-01), Wollar
patent: 5106040 (1992-04-01), Cafmeyer et al.
patent: 53-86397 (1978-07-01), None
patent: 5-8162 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 5-19770 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 6-35764 (1994-05-01), None
Fujii Koichi
Mizuno Masahiko
Ogawa Tatsuo
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Ramirez Ramon O.
Wood Kimberly
Yazaki -Corporation
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