# US 11,114,833 B2 · Wire exterior body and exterior-covered wire harness > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,833 B2 - Document ID: US11114833B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/958,567 - Filed: 2018-12-27 - Published: 2020-10-29 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-28 - Assignees: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.; Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc. - Applicants: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.; Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc. - Inventors: Yoshikazu Kamei; Takashi Oshino; Hideyuki Ikeda; Naoyuki Kojima; Koichi Maeno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114833B2 ## CPC - H02G 3/0487: {with a non-circular cross-section (H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence)} - H02G 3/30: Installations of cables or lines on walls, floors or ceilings - B60R 16/0215: {Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor} - H01B 7/0045: {Cable-harnesses} - H01B 7/1805: {Protections not provided for in groups H01B7/182 - H01B7/26} - H01B 7/40: with arrangements for facilitating mounting or securing - H02G 3/0406: {Details thereof (installation or suspension of conduit channels and other supports H02G3/263)} - H02G 3/34: using separate protective tubing - H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K}) ## Abstract A wire exterior body and an exterior-covered wire harness in which damage by an attaching member is prevented are provided. A wire exterior body (3) to be mounted on the outer periphery of an electric wire (wire harness) (2), the wire exterior body being formed of a resin sheet that is bent, includes a plurality of wall parts (4) extending along an extending direction of the electric wire and forming an accommodating part (5) that accommodates the electric wire. Among the plurality of the wall parts (4), at least one wall part (upper lid wall part (45)) has a through-hole (47), penetrating in a thickness direction of the resin sheet, into which an attaching member (61) attachable to a vehicle body is inserted, and a groove (a lower surface groove (48) or an upper surface groove (49)) in which a thickness of the resin sheet is reduced is formed on a part around the through-hole (47) on at least one surface of an upper surface (45c) and a lower surface (45d) facing the thickness direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wire exterior body to be mounted on an outer periphery of an electric wire, the wire exterior body being formed of a resin sheet that is bent, the wire exterior body comprising a plurality of wall parts extending along an extending direction of the electric wire, the plurality of the wall parts forming an accommodating part that accommodates the electric wire, wherein among the plurality of the wall parts, at least one wall part has a through-hole, penetrating in a thickness direction of the resin sheet, into which an attaching member attachable to a vehicle body is inserted, and a groove in which a thickness of the resin sheet is reduced is formed on a part around the through-hole on at least one surface of an upper surface and a lower surface facing the thickness direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wire exterior body according to claim 1, wherein the groove is formed at positions facing each other over the through-hole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wire exterior body according to claim 1, wherein the groove is an annular groove surrounding the through-hole. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wire exterior body according to claim 1, wherein a width of the groove is 0.7 mm or more and 0.9 mm or less. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wire exterior body according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the groove is 60% or more and 80% or less of the thickness of the resin sheet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wire exterior body according to claim 1, wherein a density of the resin sheet in the groove is higher than a density of the resin sheet except for the groove in the upper surface and the lower surface facing the thickness direction, and is 400 Kg/m3 or more and 1200 Kg/m3 or less. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An exterior-covered wire harness comprising: a wire harness; and the wire exterior body according to claim 1, wherein the wire exterior body is mounted on an outer periphery of the wire harness. ### Claim 8 A wire exterior body to be mounted on an outer periphery of an electric wire, the wire exterior body being formed of a resin sheet that is bent, the wire exterior body comprising a plurality of wall parts extending along an extending direction of the electric wire, the plurality of the wall parts forming an accommodating part that accommodates the electric wire, wherein the plurality of the wall parts includes a branch portion and/or a bent portion in the extending direction of the electric wire, and among the plurality of the wall parts, two wall parts facing each other over the accommodating part are provided across the branch portion and/or bent portion along the extending direction of the electric wire. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wire exterior body according to claim 8, wherein branching of the branch portion and/or bending of the bent portion is formed toward a short direction of the two wall parts facing each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The wire exterior body according to claim 8, wherein one wall part forming the two wall parts facing each other is joined to at least one of the plurality of the wall parts in a direction extending from the branch portion and/or bent portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The wire exterior body according to claim 8, wherein at least a partial area of one wall part forming the two wall parts facing each other includes a wall-surface overlapping portion that overlaps at least one of the plurality of the wall parts, and in the wall-surface overlapping portion, the one wall part is joined to at least one of the plurality of the wall parts. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The wire exterior body according to claim 11, wherein the one wall part is divided in the wall-surface overlapping portion to form a boundary portion, and the one wall part is joined to at least one of the plurality of the wall parts in the boundary portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The wire exterior body according to claim 8, wherein the resin sheet is a thermoplastic resin foamed sheet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The wire exterior body according to claim 13, wherein a density of the thermoplastic resin foamed sheet except for a bending portion is 200 Kg/m3 or more and 700 Kg/m3 or less. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The wire exterior body according to claim 13, wherein a thickness of the thermoplastic resin foamed sheet except for a bending portion is 0.50 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The wire exterior body according to claim 13, wherein a density of a bending portion of the thermoplastic resin foamed sheet is 400 Kg/m3 or more and 1200 Kg/m3 or less. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The wire exterior body according to claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic resin foamed sheet includes a curved portion having R 0.1 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less in a cut surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The wire exterior body according to claim 13, wherein the thermoplastic resin foamed sheet includes a non-foam layer on both surfaces. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The wire exterior body according to claim 18, wherein a thickness of the non-foam layer is 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The wire exterior body according to any one of claim 13, wherein Shore hardness (HSC) of the thermoplastic resin foamed sheet is 60 or more and 100 or less. ### Claim 21 (depends on 8) An exterior-covered wire harness comprising: a wire harness; and the wire exterior body according to claim 8, wherein the wire exterior body is mounted on an outer periphery of the wire harness.