Wire harness structure

• US 6,503,098 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hitoshi, Soshino, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khiem
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US09/919,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 439/502, 439/501, 439/505, 439/623, 439/624, 439/949, 439/723, 439/724, 174/71.R, 174/72.A, 174/72.B, 174/71.B, 174/78, 361/826
• US Class Current: 439/502
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/949 Junction box with busbar for plug-socket type interconnection with receptacle

Abstract

There are provided sub-connectors to which serial data wires, provided on wire harnesses, are connected. These sub-connectors are connected to a joint connector provided in the vicinity of connectors, thereby splicing the wires.

Claims

1. A vehicle wiring construction, comprising:

a plurality of wire harnesses each having a connector, said wire harnesses configured to be connected to each other when said connectors are coupled to each other, each said wire harness having at least one joint wire attached thereto, and

at least one joint connector configured to hold and electrically interconnect said joint wires that are respectively attached to said wire harnesses, wherein said at least one joint connector is configured to be positioned away from said connectors, whereby said joint wires can be connected independently to said at least one joint connector without being connected to said connectors.

2. The vehicle wiring construction according to claim 1, wherein said at least one joint wire comprises at least one data communication wire, wherein said data communication wires are configured to respectively extend between said at least one joint connector and electronic control units to transmit data to a respective one of said electronic control units, whereby said electronic control units can be intercommunicated via said at least one joint connector.

3. The vehicle wiring construction according to claim 2, wherein said data communication wires are of substantially the same length, whereby electrical characteristics of data communication between said electronic control units can be substantially the same.

4. The vehicle wiring construction according to claim 3, further comprising a sub-connector for receiving and holding said at least one joint wire attached to said sub wire harness, wherein said sub-connector is configured to be accommodated within said joint connector.

5. The vehicle wiring construction according to claim 4, wherein said at least one joint connector is mounted on an electrical connection box positioned in the proximity of said end connectors.

6. The vehicle wiring construction according to claim 4, wherein said at least one joint connector is formed unitarily in one piece with an electrical connection box positioned in the proximity of said end connectors, and forms a joint wiring configuration to electrically interconnect said joint wires and an internal circuit of said electrical connection box.

7. A wire harness structure in which a wire harness with at least one serial data wire for effecting a serial data communication is divided into a plurality of wire harnesses, said divided wire harnesses being connected together through connection means, and part of said serial data wire being spliced over said plurality of divided wire harnesses without being connected to said connection means, said wire harness structure comprising:

a sub-connector to which ends of said part of said serial data wire are connected, and

a joint connector for splicing said serial data wires disposed respectively within said sub-connector.

8. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein

said at least one serial data wire is a shielded wire.

9. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein

said at least one serial data wire is a twist pair wire.

10. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein

said at least one serial data wire is a tubed wire.

11. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said serial data wires are set to about the same length.

12. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said joint connector is provided in the vicinity of said connection means.

13. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said joint connector is mounted on an electrical part fixedly mounted on a vehicle body.

14. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said joint connector is mounted on a bracket mounted on a vehicle body.

15. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said joint connector is mounted on an arbitrary one of said wire harnesses disposed in the vicinity of said connection means.

16. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said joint connector contains a branch wiring for splicing a maximum of three serial data wires.

17. The wire harness structure according to claim 7, wherein said joint connector is formed integrally with an electronic unit and contains a branch wiring for splicing at least two serial data wires and an internal circuit of said electronic unit.

18. A wire harness structure in which a wire harness with a plurality of wires is divided into a plurality of wire harnesses, said divided wire harnesses being connected together through connection means, said structure comprising:

sub-connectors, which are separate from said connection means, and to which ends of part of the wires of said divided wire harnesses are connected, and

a joint connector provided in the vicinity of said connection means so as to splice the wires disposed within said sub-connectors;

wherein said part of the wires of said wire harnesses are spliced together by said joint connector over said divided wire harnesses.

19. The wire harness structure according to claim 18, wherein said joint connector is mounted on an electrical part fixedly mounted on a vehicle body.

20. The wire harness structure according to claim 18, wherein said joint connector is mounted on a bracket fixedly mounted on a vehicle body.

21. The wire harness structure according to claim 18, wherein said joint connector is mounted on an arbitrary one of said wire harnesses disposed in the vicinity of said connection means.