PROTECTIVE TUBE AND PROTECTIVE TUBE ATTACHING METHOD

• US 20160248236A1
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Kaneko, Akihiko, Murakami, Tomoyasu
• Granted Patent: US 10,211,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/086 bending radially, i.e. deformig the cross-section of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5042 covering both elements to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/565 involving interference fits, e.g. force-fits or press-fits B29C65/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/34 Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0215 Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 19/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing insulators or insulating bodies manufacture of porcelain for electric insulation C04B33/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0045 Cable-harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/18 with the spring member surrounding the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/54 Intermediate parts, e.g. adapters, splitters or elbows
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/08 through tubing or conduit, e.g. rod or draw wire for pushing or pulling inserting electrical cables into tubes using wallbores E21B17/206; for optical cables G02B6/4401
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0481 with a circular cross-section H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0487 with a non-circular cross-section H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/06 Joints for connecting lengths of protective tubing or channels, to each other or to casings, e.g. to distribution boxes; Ensuring electrical continuity in the joint
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/08 Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/32 using mounting clamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 by assembling plural parts

Abstract

A protective tube for protecting an electric wire of a wire harness, includes a small diameter protective tube, and a large diameter protective tube configured to cover the small diameter protective tube so as to be movable relatively thereto. A sectional shape perpendicular to its tube axis of at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube is formed into a non-circular shape which is obtained by pressing and deforming its circular cross-section by a predetermined amount or more, and the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube which are configured to be moved along a longitudinal direction thereof relatively to each other are frictionally engaged with each other.

Claims

1. A protective tube for protecting an electric wire of a wire harness, comprising:

a small diameter protective tube; and

a large diameter protective tube configured to cover the small diameter protective tube so as to be movable relatively thereto,

wherein a sectional shape perpendicular to its tube axis of at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube is formed into a non-circular shape which is obtained by pressing and deforming its circular cross-section by a predetermined amount or more, and the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube which are configured to be moved along a longitudinal direction thereof relatively to each other are frictionally engaged with each other.

2. The protective tube according to claim 1, wherein the sectional shape perpendicular to the tube axis of each of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube is formed into the non-circular shape which is obtained by pressing and deforming its circular cross-section by a predetermined amount or more.

3. A protective tube for protecting an electric wire of a wire harness, comprising:

a small diameter protective tube; and

a large diameter protective tube configured to cover the small diameter protective tube so as to be movable relatively thereto,

wherein at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube is formed into a curved shape which is curved along a longitudinal direction thereof by a predetermined amount or more, and the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube which are configured to be moved the longitudinal direction thereof relatively to each other are frictionally engaged with each other.

4. A protective tube attaching method for protecting an electric wire of a wire harness by a protective tube including a small diameter protective tube and a large diameter protective tube, the large diameter protective tube covering the small diameter protective tube so as to be movable relatively thereto, the protective tube attaching method comprising:

a protective tube inserting step of inserting the electric wire through the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube which covers the small diameter protective tube so as to be movable relatively thereto and which is shorter than the small diameter protective tube;

a large diameter protective tube positioning step of positioning one end portion of the large diameter protective tube at one reference portion of the wire harness;

a small diameter protective tube positioning step of moving the small diameter protective tube relatively to the large diameter protective tube positioned at the one reference portion, to thereby position the other end portion of the small diameter protective tube at the other reference portion of the wire harness; and

a protective tube fixing step of fixing the other end portion of the large diameter protective tube in a state that the other end portion of the large diameter protective tube overlaps with an outer circumferential surface of the small diameter protective tube.

5. The protective tube attaching method according to claim 4, further comprising:

a section deforming step of forming the sectional shape perpendicular to its tube axis of at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube into a non-circular shape by pressing and deforming its circular cross-section by a predetermined amount or more,

wherein the section deforming step is performed prior to the protective tube inserting step.

6. The protective tube attaching method according to claim 5, further comprising:

a friction engagement step of rotating the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube relatively to each other with a predetermined angle around the tube axis when the sectional shape perpendicular to the tube axis of each of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube is formed into a non-circular shape,

wherein the friction engagement step is performed prior to the protective tube fixing step.

7. The protective tube attaching method according to claim 5, wherein the section deforming step is a winding step in which at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube which is extrusion-molded into a circular shape in section is wound on a take-up reel so that the circular section is pressed and deformed by a predetermined amount or more.

8. The protective tube attaching method according to claim 4, further comprising:

a curved shape deforming step of forming at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube into a curved shape which is curved along a longitudinal direction thereof by a predetermined amount or more,

wherein the curved shape deforming step is performed prior to the protective tube inserting step.

9. The protective tube attaching method according to claim 8, wherein the curved deforming step is a winding step in which at least one of the small diameter protective tube and the large diameter protective tube which is molded by extrusion is wound on a take-up reel so as to be deformed into a curved shape which is curved along a longitudinal direction thereof by a predetermined amount or more.