Method for producing a cable harness and cable harness

Abstract

A cable harness is surrounded in certain regions by a sheath made of a casting compound. In order to ensure a defined delimitation of the casting compound, even if there is an insert part protruding from the sheath, the method for sealing a tool opening provides that a pressure element is pressed in the radial direction against the insert part. The insert part is clamped between the pressure element and a support element, and the support element remains in the cable harness as a consumable element. The insert part is particularly designed as a heat protection element. The cable harness is used particularly in a thermally stressed environment for a motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of producing a cable harness with an electric wire bundle, the method comprising: placing an electric wire bundle into a tool mold with the wire bundle projecting through an opening; sealing an insert part in a cable longitudinal direction at the opening by pressing a pressure element in a radial direction against the insert part and taking up a radial compressive force by a support element inserted between the wire bundle and the insert part, and spacing the insert part from the wire bundle to form a free radial space therebeween; and surrounding the wire bundle inside the tool mold with casting compound to form a sheath surrounding the wire bundle in certain regions thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure element is a separate component part which is displaceable in a radial direction relative to a wall of the tool mold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the insert part extends in the cable longitudinal direction between two end regions and the method comprises pressing a respective pressure element against the insert part in the end regions.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the tool mold is formed with two casting chambers spaced from one another and disposed at the mutually opposite end regions of the insert part in the cable longitudinal direction and the insert part is embedded into the casting compound only at its end regions.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure element is formed with a sealing lip.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure element presses the insert part against an opposing abutment so that the pressure element and the abutment make up a clamping ring which surrounds the wire bundle and the insert part in the form of a ring.

7. A cable harness, comprising: an electric wire bundle surrounded in certain regions by a sheath made of a casting compound; an insert part embedded in said casting compound and projecting from said casting compound; and a support element disposed between said insert part and said wire bundle in an end region of said insert part that is not surrounded by said sheath.

8. The cable harness according to claim 7, wherein said insert part is spaced from said wire bundle with a free radial space formed therebetween.

9. The cable harness according to claim 7, wherein said insert part is a heat protection element for said wire bundle.

10. The cable harness according to claim 7, wherein said sheath is one of two sheaths formed at a spacing distance from one another, and wherein said insert part extends between said two sheaths.

11. The cable harness according to claim 9, wherein said insert part is a tubular element surrounding said wire bundle.

12. The cable harness according to claim 9, wherein said insert part is disposed to surround said wire bundle only in certain regions.

13. The cable harness according to claim 7, wherein said insert part is a heat protection element and is formed with a free outer side, wherein said insert part surrounds said wire bundle only in certain regions and is formed as a profile or a plate, or said insert part surrounds said wire bundle in tubular fashion and has a foil wound around said wire bundle.

14. The cable harness according to claim 7, wherein said sheath has a branch so that a partial bundle of the wire bundle is branched off with dimensional stability.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) Embodiments of the invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the figures. These show each in simplified illustrations:

(2) FIG. 1 a longitudinal sectional view through a tool mould having the wire bundle as well as the insert part inserted therein;

(3) FIG. 2 a cross-sectional view through the tool mould according to FIG. 1 along the line II,II;

(4) FIG. 3 a longitudinal sectional view through a cable harness;

(5) FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view through the cable harness according to the sectional line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 a cross-sectional view of the cable harness according to the sectional line V-V in FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 a cross-sectional view of the cable harness along the sectional line VI-VI in FIG. 3; as well as

(8) FIG. 7 a cross-sectional view comparable with FIG. 2 of the tool mould with an alternative configuration of the insert part.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) In the drawings the similar acting parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

(10) The tool mould 4 illustrated in FIG. 1 is used for producing the cable harness 2 illustrated in FIG. 3. The tool mould 4 as well as the cable harness 2 each extend in the longitudinal direction 6 of the cable. The tool mould 4 thereby normally has two tool parts formed in the manner of half shells which are divided along a tool separation plane 8 extending in the cable longitudinal direction 6. A wall 10 of the tool mould defines a free interior space 12 in which a wire bundle 14 as well as an insert part 16 formed as a heat protection element are inserted. The wire bundle 14 is normally wound up additionally by a banding which is not shown in further detail here.

(11) The insert part 16 thereby extends in the cable longitudinal direction 6 between two end regions 18. In each end region 18 there is a support element designed as a support ring 20 which on the one side surrounds the wire bundle 14 and on the other side is covered by the inverted respective region 18b of the insert part 16. The insert part 16 thereby protrudes in part in the cable longitudinal direction 6 over each support ring 20.

(12) A free space is formed between the wire bundle 14 and the support ring 20 so that the wire bundle 14 is guided loosely through the insert part. The distance between the wire bundle 14 and the insert part 16 thereby corresponds roughly to the sleeve thickness of the casting compound 28 surrounding the wire bundle 14.

(13) The tool mould 4 furthermore has two clamping rings 22 spaced from one another in the cable longitudinal direction 6 and formed from a pressure element 22a and an abutment 22b for this. The clamping rings 22 each define an opening 23 through which the wire bundle 14 is guided. The pressure element 22a as well as the abutment 22b are thereby mounted movable in the radial direction inside the wall region 10 of the tool mould 4, at least the pressure element 22a, so that a radial pressure force exerted on the pressure element 22a is transferred via the pressure element 22a to the insert part 16.

(14) As can be seen from FIG. 1 the support ring 20 is arranged in the region of the respective pressure element 22a so that the insert part 16 is clamped between each pressure element 22a or the abutment 22b respectively, and the support ring 20.

(15) In order to improve the sealing action and increase the surface pressure force applied, both the pressure element 22a and the abutment 22b have a sealing lip which is moulded as a clamping or sealing rib 24 and which as a whole runs completely round the entire surface of the insert part 16.

(16) The tool mould is divided at the openings 23 by the two clamping rings 22 into several partial areas, three in the design variation of FIG. 1, namely into two outer regions and one central region. The insert part 16 runs in the central region, and extends into the outer regions only partially by the end regions 18. These two outer regions of the free interior space 12 thereby each define a casting chamber 26 which is filled with a casting compound 28 (see FIG. 3).

(17) Complementary with the variation illustrated in FIG. 1 the individual wires of the wire bundle 14 are preferably still guided through a separator (not shown here in further detail) so that the central region is sealed from the two casting chambers 26 also in the central area surrounded by the insert part 16.

(18) To produce the cable harness 2 the wire bundle 14 is inserted together with the support rings 20 and the insert part 16 into the tool mould 4. Ifas by way of example with the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 6there is a tubular insert part 16 as well as an annular support element 20 then the wire bundle 14 is guided through the respective support ring 16 and then the tubular insert part 16 is pushed over the wire bundle 14 and over the support rings 20. The support rings 20 are positioned in the tool mould 4 in the region of the clamping rings 22. The two tool halves are then closed. A contact pressure force applied externally is then exerted via the pressure element 22a which is designed in particular in the manner of a cable pressure strip, so that the insert part 16 is clamped between the pressure element 22a and the support ring 20. The casting compound 28 is then introduced into the casting chambers 26 through injection casting openings which are not shown in further detail here. The casting compound 28 is in particular a polyurethane foam system which typically has a very high initial viscosity.

(19) The entire cavity in the casting chamber 26 is then filled by the expanding casting compound 28. The partial region of the end regions 18 extending into the casting chamber 26 is then embedded in the casting compound 28. As a result of the high viscosity the casting compound 28 is also placed circumferentially around the insert part 16. The casting compound 28 therefore projects between the inside of the pressure element 22a or the abutment 22b and the insert part 16. The sealing rib 24 restricts the expansion in the cable longitudinal direction 6. Through this measure it is therefore reliably ensured that a defined clear separation point is formed and the casting compound 28 does not project into the central region. The outside of the insert part 16 in this central region therefore forms a free outer side 30 which is not encased by the casting compound 28. A sheath 32 formed by the casting compound 28 therefore adjoins this free outer side 30. This sheath has in the embodiment a rectangular cross-sectional contour.

(20) In order to achieve a reliable seal in the boundary area between the sheath 32 and the free outer side 30, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 the abutment 22b has a roughly U-shaped opening in which the insert part 16 is placed together with the support ring 20 and the wire bundle 40. The pressure element 22a is placed on the abutment 22b in the manner of a T-shaped pressure strip. Both the pressure element 22a and the abutment 22b are each designed with a concave curvature on the inside corresponding to the contour of the support ring 20. Two end portions 34 extending out in wedge fashion are thereby produced in the connection with the U-shaped receiving area on the sides of the pressure element 22a.

(21) As an alternative to this the pressure element 22a and abutment 22b are formed by two similar shaped half-shell elements. The separation plane between the pressure element 22a, 22b preferably corresponds to the tool separation plane 8.

(22) As can be further seen from the cable harness illustrated in FIG. 3, branches 36 are formed in the two opposing sheaths 32 so that a partial bundle 38 of the wire bundle 14 is branched off from the cable longitudinal direction 6. The partial bundle 38 is thereby likewise surrounded by the sheath 32 so that the branch 36 is held overall dimensionally stable and the exit angle of the partial bundle 38 is fixedly defined. Furthermore it can be seen that the wire bundle 14 again exits from the sheaths 32. The sheaths 32 are therefore formed only in the region of the branch 36. The wire bundle 14 as well as the partial bundle 18 are then guided further on to the electrical components to which they are connected. For insertion into a respective housing of the electrical components sealing pockets are thereby formed for example on the respective wire bundle 14 or partial bundle 18, and are preferably likewise formed as a cast part.

(23) From FIGS. 4 to 6 can be seen again the individual cross-sectional geometries in the various different regions, namely in the region of the support ring 20 surrounded by the sheath 32 (FIG. 4), in the free end region 18 directly adjoining the sheath 32 (FIG. 5), as well as in the central region between the two sheaths 32 (FIG. 6). As a result of the special manufacturing method the support ring 20 which is embedded in the sheath 32 and extends out therefrom, is arranged in the end region 18.

(24) With the design variation illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6 the insert part 16 is formed tubular and therefore surrounds the wire bundle 14 around the entire periphery. The free outer side 30 which protects the wire bundle 14 more particularly against the effects of heat, thereby preferably extends over several tens of centimeters. The cable harness 2 is arranged in the fully assembled state preferably in a motor vehicle and more particularly there in a heat-stressed partial area, by way of example in the engine chamber and/or in the region of the exhaust train.

(25) The insert part 16 is thereby designed more particularly as a flexible tube, preferably in the manner of a hybrid tube with an inner woven or mesh tube which is wrapped round by a metal banding. With this design the cable harness 2 is formed very elastic and bending in the region of the free outer side 30 and can then be laid without problem even if bent.

(26) As an alternative to the tubular design of the insert part 16, according to the design variation illustrated in FIG. 7, the insert part extends only over a partial region and is by way of example formed in the manner of a solid, inherently rigid, by way of example metal, profile, as illustrated in FIG. 7. More expediently with an insert part 16 of this kind extending only over a restricted angular region, an annular support element 20 is used in order to be able to readily absorb the clamping forces. As an alternative to this the support element 20 is adapted to the contour of the insert part 16. As shown in FIG. 7, the insert part 16 in this embodiment has outwardly protruding marginal regions 40 which are clamped between the pressure element 22a and the abutment 22b. These marginal regions 40 thereby preferably lie inside the tool separation plane 8.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(27) 2 Cable harness 4 Tool mould 6 Cable longitudinal direction 8 Tool separation plane 10 Wall 12 Interior space 14 Wire bundle 15 Banding 16 Insert part 18 End region 20 Support ring 22 Clamping ring 22a Pressure element 22b Abutment 23 Opening 24 Sealing rib 26 Casting chamber 28 Casting compound 30 Free outer side 32 Sheath 34 End portion 36 Branch 38 Partial bundle 40 Marginal region