ELECTRIC WIRE PROTECTION ARRANGEMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to protection arrangements for electric wires in vehicles, for example in motor vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that electric wires included in motor vehicles are beneficially routed in a manner so as to afford protection for the wires. Moreover, for convenience, it is also known in motor vehicles to have wires following a mutually similar spatial path joined together into bundles.

Protection of electric wires is particularly pertinent in connection with routing wires between a chassis of a vehicle and a movable member pivotally mounted relative to the chassis, for example from a chassis to a door pivotally mounted to the chassis, or from a chassis to a trunk lid pivotally mounted to the chassis. In such cases, a routing path employed will usually pass through an open region between a chassis and a movable member pivotally mounted to the chassis.

Protection applied to protect wires in vehicles from mechanical damage is devised, for example, to mitigate damage caused by impact blows and chafing. In addition, such protection is also typically designed to protect electric wires from water and/or moisture. The protection is particularly important if the electric wires have insufficient isolation and/or if the wires are susceptible to guiding water into electric units connected to the electric wires. Moreover, the protection is often implemented using a durable rubber or a similar flexible waterproof material that is capable of flexing in response to movement of associated moveable members.

Even if protection is sufficient to protect electric wires from mechanical and environmental stress, there is still a remaining problem in that electric wires fabricated from a metal such as copper are sensitive to repetitive bending which results in the wires work-hardening

and eventually breaking. Such bending will typically occur when a routing path for electric wires passes between a chassis of a vehicle and a movable member, for example a door, that is pivotally mounted with respect to the chassis.

To mitigate detrimental bending effects on electric wires, it has been proposed that the wires be provided with a supporting arrangement as protection, wherein the supporting arrangement is operable to force the wires to bend along a smooth curve or similar smoothly changing path. Another suggestion is to fold the electric wires into a particular pattern so that the wires are bent at several spatial positions therealong, where bending at each spatial position is much less than a total bending angle required for the wires to withstand.

However, solutions for protecting electric wires which are exposed to bending movements are known. Such solutions are pertinent even if the bending is slight, since the bending is often typically repeated a large number of times which can eventually result in the wires breaking due to work hardening

Hence, a technical problem addressed by the present invention is to provide an improved protection arrangement wherein electric wires of vehicles are protected from mechanical and/or environmental stress and wherein the risk of breaking the wires is mitigated or even avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

At least one of the problems or drawbacks identified above is solved or mitigated by a first aspect of the present invention directed to an electric wire routing arrangement arranged to operatively enclose and route an electric wire arrangement from a first electric arrangement in a chassis of a vehicle to a second electric arrangement in a movable member pivotally connected to the chassis. The electric wire routing arrangement comprises: a first channel part arranged to be operatively connected to the chassis and a second channel part arranged to be operatively connected to the movable member so that a center of the first channel part and the center of the second channel part substantially coincide with an axis of rotation for the movable member along a section so that the wire arrangement operatively enclosed and routed by the first channel part and the second

channel part is twisted around the axis of rotation when the movable member is pivotally moved relative to the chassis in operation.

A second aspect of the invention is directed to an electric wire routing arrangement comprising the features of the aforesaid first aspect together with further comprising a first fixation arrangement arranged to operatively fixate the wire arrangement in the first channel part and a second fixating arrangement arranged to operatively fixate the wire arrangement in the second channel part, so that the wire arrangement is twisted within the section of the first channel part and that the second channel part extends along and coincides with said axis of rotation.

A third aspect of the invention is directed to an electric wire routing arrangement comprising the features of the aforesaid first aspect or the aforesaid second aspect, wherein the first channel part and the second channel part are arranged to be connected to each other so as to form a joint in a section that extend along and substantially coincides with the axis of rotation.

A fourth aspect of the invention is directed to an electric wire routing arrangement comprising the features of the aforesaid first aspect or the aforesaid second aspect or the aforesaid third aspect, wherein the first channel part and the second channel part are arranged within the section so that the first channel part extends over the second channei part, or so that the second channel part extends over the first channel part. Such disposition of the channels parts is beneficially, for example, at resisting ingress of precipitation, for example snow of rain water, into a region enclosed by the channel parts through which the electric wire arrangement.

A fifth aspect of the invention is directed to an electric wire routing arrangement comprising the features of the aforesaid fourth aspect, wherein a region between the first channel part and the second channel part including the electric wire routing arrangement is provided with a sealing arrangement. The sealing arrangement is beneficial in that it is operable to resist ingress of rain, snow, moisture or other damaging substances.

A sixth aspect of the invention is directed to an electric wire routing arrangement comprising the features of the aforesaid first aspect or the aforesaid second aspect or the aforesaid third aspect or the aforesaid fourth aspect or the aforesaid fifth aspect, wherein

the first channel Dart and the second channel Dart are fabricated from a substantially rigid material.

A seventh aspect of the invention is directed to an electric wire routing arrangement comprising the features of the aforesaid first aspect or the aforesaid second aspect or the aforesaid third aspect or the aforesaid fourth aspect or the aforesaid fifth aspect or the aforesaid sixth aspect, wherein the first channel part and the second channel part are substantially circular conduits in cross-section.

At least one of the problems or drawbacks identified above is also solved or mitigated by an eighth aspect of the present invention which is directed to a motor vehicle comprising an electric wire routing arrangement according to any of the aforesaid first aspect or the aforesaid second aspect or the aforesaid third aspect or the aforesaid fourth aspect or the aforesaid fifth aspect or the aforesaid sixth aspect or the aforesaid seventh aspect.

Further advantages of the present invention and embodiments thereof will be appreciated appear from the following detailed description of the invention.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is to be construed to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but Joes not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It should also be emphasised that methods defined by the appended claims are susceptible, without departing from the present invention, to being performed in another order than the order in which they appear in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to following drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of parts of a vehicle comprising an exemplifying electric wire routing arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and

5 Figure 2 is a schematic cut away view of an electric wire routing arrangement according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In Figure 1, there is shown a perspective view of parts of a vehicle comprising an exemplifying electric wire routing arrangement 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

15

The exemplifying electric routing arrangement 100 in Figure 1 is arranged to route an electric wire arrangement (not shown in Figure 1 ) from a first electric arrangement arranged in a chassis 310 of a vehicle to a second electric arrangement arranged in a door 318 of the vehicle. The door 318 is pivotally mounted to the chassis 310. The door

20 318 is merely an example of a movable member that is pivotally mounted to the chassis of a vehicle, such that other types of movable member are also pertinent to the present invention. Examples of other types of movable member include trunk lids, tiltable truck cabins and so forth.

25 An example of above is an electric power cable connected to a battery mounted in the chassis 310. The electrical power cable is routed from the battery to a motor of an electrically-operated window included in the door 318. Optionally, the routing arrangement 100 is arranged to route a single electric wire, or a plurality of electric wires that have mutually different sizes and different purposes.

30

The door 318 is optionally connected to the chassis 310 via hinge arrangements 312, 312' operable to enable the door 318 to pivot around an axis of rotation 320 when the door 318 is opened and/or closed.

A first part of each hinge arrangement 312, 312' is connected to a portion of the chassis 310 of the vehicle, and a second part of each hinge arrangement 312, 312' is connected to a side of the door 318 facing the portion of the chassis when the door 318 is closed. More particularly, as can be seen in Figure 1 , a first part of each hinge arrangement 312, 5 312' is connected to an A-pillar or a B-pillar of the vehicle or an extension thereof in the chassis 310 of the vehicle, and a second part of each hinge arrangement 312, 312' is connected to the side of the door 318 that faces the pillar or extension thereof when the door 318 is closed. 0 In contemporary vehicle design, it is customary to include a series of pairs of substantially vertical pillars for mounting a roof of a vehicle to a chassis thereof. Moreover, it is customary practice to refer to such pairs of pillars progressively from a front region of the vehicle backwards as being "A-pillars", "B-pillars" and so forth towards a rear of the vehicle. 5

Aforesaid mounting of the hinge arrangements 312, 312' pertains in a same or similar manner mutatis mutandis to C-pillars or D-pillars of the vehicle when such pillars are present in the vehicle. Various doors or similar movable members and their attachment to a vehicle by hinges or similar around an axis of rotation are well known to those skilled in0 the art.

The example of the wire routing arrangement 100 illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a first channel part 110 connected to the chassis 310. Optionally, the first channel part 110 is connected to a portion of the chassis 310 facing the door 318 when the door 318 is5 closed, for example between a part of the hinge arrangements 312, 312' or similar fastening arrangement that are mounted on the chassis 310. In addition, the wire routing arrangement 100 comprises a second channel part 112 connected to the movable door 318. Optionally, the second channel part 112 is connected to a part of the door 318 that faces the chassis 310 when the door 318 is closed, for example between a part of the0 hinge arrangements 312, 312' or similar fastening arrangement that are mounted on the door 318.

A center of the first channel part 110 and the second channel part 112 beneficially extend so as to substantially coincide with an axis of rotation 320 for the door 318 along a section5 114. In this manner, electric wires of the wire routing arrangement 100 are operatively

enclosed and guided by the first channel part 110 and the second channel part 112 and become twisted around the axis of rotation 320 for the door 318 when the door 318 is pivotally moved relative to the chassis 310.

5 As mentioned in the foregoing, it is a well known that electric wires fabricated from metal such as copper or similar are sensitive to repeated bending on account of work-hardening effects resulting in eventual wire breaks. Such work-hardening occurs even if the repeated bending is slight. However, metal wires are considerably less degraded by twisting in respect of work-hardening, in particularly if the twisting occurs around the axis 10 of rotation as described above. In other words, the example wire routing arrangement 100 in Figure 1 mitigates or even is capable of substantially eliminating a risk that electric wires break, at least compared to a routing arrangement wherein bending of electric wires occurs.

15 Figure 2 is a schematic cut away view of an electric wire routing arrangement 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The exemplifying electric wire routing arrangement 200 in Figure 2 is, in a similar manner to the wire routing arrangement 100 described above with reference to Figure 1 , arranged to route an electric wire arrangement 316 from a first electric arrangement arranged in the chassis

20 310 (not shown in Figure 2) of the vehicle to a second electric arrangement arranged in a door 318 (not shown in Figure 2) of the vehicle. The routing arrangement 200 is optionally arranged to route one electric wire, or a bundle of electric wires having mutually different sizes and mutually different purposes.

25 The wire routing arrangement 200 in Figure 2 comprises a first channel part 210 arranged to be operatively connected to the chassis 310 of the vehicle and a second channel part 212 arranged to be operatively connected to the movable door 318. The first and second channel parts 210, 212 are illustrated in a cross-sectional manner in Figure 2 so that the electric wire arrangement 316 can be better appreciated when studying Figure 2.

30

In addition, the first channel part 210 and the second channel part 212 are arranged so that a center of the channel parts 210, 212 extends so as to substantially coincide with the axis of rotation 220 for the door 318 along a section 214. In such a manner, the electric wire arrangement 316 enclosed and routed by the first channel part 210 and the second

channel part 212 are operatively twisted around the axis of rotation 220 for the door 318 when the door 318 is pivotally moved relative to the chassis 310 in operation.

In other words, as previously described for the routing arrangement 100 illustrated in Figure 1 , the routing arrangement 200 illustrated in Figure 2 will mitigate or even substantially eliminate a risk that the one or more electric wires in the wire arrangement 316 break as a consequence of work-hardening, at least compared to a routing arrangement wherein bending of the one or more wires occurs.

In addition, it is beneficial that the routing arrangement 200 in Figure 2 be provided with a first fixation arrangement 222 that operatively fixates the wire arrangement 316 in the first channel part 210 so that the wire arrangement 316 is only twisted within the section 214 of the first channel part 210 that substantially coincides with the axis of rotation 220. Similarly, it is beneficial that the routing arrangement 200 is provided with a second fixation arrangement 224 that operatively fixates the wire arrangement 316 in the second channel part 212 so that the wire arrangement 316 is only twisted within the section 214 of the second cannel part 212 that extends along and substantially coinciding with the axis of rotation 220.

Moreover, the first channel part 210 and the second channel part 212 are optionally arranged to be connected to each other so as to form a joint 230 within the section 214 that substantially coincides with the axis of rotation 220. As schematically illustrated in Figure 2, the joint 230 is optionally formed by arranging for the first channel part 210 to extend over the second channel part 212 or vice versa, so that the channel parts 210, 212 are operable to mutually rotate around the axis of rotation 220. However, such disposition of the channel parts 210, 212 presupposes that the channel parts 210, 212 are fabricated to be substantially circular conduits or similar in transverse cross-section.

When the first channel part 210 extends over the second channel part 212 or vice versa, there is typically thereby provides an improved sealing of the electric wire routing arrangement 200. Optionally, the channel parts 210, 212 are arranged to overlap such that an operatively upper one of parts 210, 212 overlaps an operatively lower one of the parts 210, 212 so that precipitation, for example rain or snow, reaching the routing arrangement when its door 318, or similar movable member, is in an at least partially open state; such a disposition is of benefit in assisting to protect the one or more electric

wires therein from exposure to moisture. More optionally, an overlapping region between the first and second channel parts 210, 212 is provided with one or more sealing arrangements, for example a mechanical seal such as a mechanical packing or a mechanical face seal.

Alternatively, a joint 230 may be implemented by utilizing bearing arrangements or similar, for example in a situation wherein the channel parts 210, 212 have shapes that do not allow a rotation with respect to each other when at least partially overlapping.

Optionally, the first channel part 210 and the second channel part 212 are fabricated from a substantially rigid material;- for example from a metal or a plastics material or similar, for protecting the wire arrangement 316 from mechanical damage. More optionally, the plastics material is a relatively hard plastics material, for example a thermosetting plastics material or a resin. Alternatively, the plastics material is optionally a relatively flexible polymer such as polyethylene, polypropylene, Nylon, Alkylene or similar. Yet more optionally, the plastic material employed is reinforced, for example with Kevlar cloth or carbon-fibre cloth. Here, it is to be appreciated that the expression "protect the wire arrangement" or similar should be generally understood as protecting the wire from bending as well as protecting the wire from mechanical damages, unless otherwise is explicitly stated or is clear from associated context.

The present invention has now been described with reference to exemplifying embodiments. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the full extent of the invention is only determined by the scope of the appended claims.