# US 11,908,598 B2 · Insulated electric wire and harness with water-stopping agent and wire harness > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,598 B2 - Document ID: US11908598B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/426,577 - Filed: 2019-01-30 - Published: 2022-05-26 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-30 - Assignees: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd.; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.; Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Kenichiro Araki; Toyoki Furukawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908598B2 ## CPC - H01B 7/285: by completely or partially filling interstices in the cable - Y02A 30/14: Extreme weather resilient electric power supply systems, e.g. strengthening power lines or underground power cables - 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}) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract An insulated electric wire with a water-stopping portion has excellent water stopping performance and forms quickly, and a wire harness includes the insulated electric wire. An insulated electric wire includes: a conductor wherein multiple metal material elemental wires are twisted together; and an insulation covering covers an outer circumference of the conductor. The insulated electric wire includes an exposed portion wherein the insulation covering is removed; a covered portion wherein the insulation covering covers the conductor, the exposed and covered portions are adjacent to each other in a longitudinal axis direction; and a water-stopping portion wherein gaps between the wires in the exposed portion are filled with a water-stopping agent. At least a portion of the water-stopping agent contacting the wires is made of a resin material that cures upon contact. A wire harness includes the insulated electric wire, and electric connections capable of other device connection at both ends, each capable of other device connection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An insulated electric wire comprising: a conductor in which a plurality of elemental wires made of a metal material are twisted together; and an insulation covering that covers an outer circumference of the conductor, wherein the insulated electric wire comprises: an exposed portion in which the insulation covering is removed from the outer circumference of the conductor; a covered portion in which the insulation covering covers the outer circumference of the conductor, the exposed portion and the covered portion being provided adjacent to each other in a longitudinal axis direction of the insulated electric wire; and a water-stopping portion in which gaps between the plurality of elemental wires in the exposed portion are filled with a water-stopping agent, and at least a portion of the water-stopping agent that is in contact with the plurality of elemental wires is made of a resin material that cures upon contact with the metal material of the plurality of elemental wires, wherein density of the metal material per unit length is higher in the exposed portion than in at least a remote area of the covered portion other than an area adjacent to the exposed portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein the at least the portion of the water-stopping agent that is in contact with the plurality of elemental wires has anaerobic curability. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein the water-stopping agent is insulating. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein at least outer circumferential portion of the water-stopping agent is made of a resin material that cures with external supply of energy or a substance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The insulated electric wire according to claim 4, wherein the at least the outer circumferential portion of the water-stopping agent is made of a resin material that has light curability. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein the water-stopping agent is made of a resin material that is curable upon contact with the metal material of the plurality of elemental wires and is curable with external supply of energy or a substance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The insulated electric wire according to claim 6, wherein the water-stopping agent is made of a resin material that has both anaerobic curability and light curability. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein a twist pitch of the plurality of elemental wires is smaller in the exposed portion than in the at least the remote area of the covered portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein, in the exposed portion, the water-stopping agent constituting the water-stopping portion covers an outer circumference of the conductor continuously from the gaps between the plurality of elemental wires. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The insulated electric wire according to claim 9, wherein the water-stopping agent constituting the water-stopping portion covers an outer circumference of the insulation covering at an end of the covered portion that is adjacent to the exposed portion, continuously from an area of the exposed portion that covers the outer circumference of the conductor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein the water-stopping portion is provided in a middle portion of the insulated electric wire in the longitudinal axis direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The insulated electric wire according to claim 1, wherein the resin material of the water-stopping agent has a viscosity of at least 2 Pa·s. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A wire harness comprising: the insulated electric wire according to claim 1; and electric connections provided at both ends of the insulated electric wire, each of the electric connections being capable of connecting to another device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The wire harness according to claim 13, wherein one of the electric connections provided on the both ends of the insulated electric wire includes a waterproof structure for preventing entry of water from the outside, and an other one of the electric connections does not include any waterproof structure, and the water-stopping portion is provided at a position between the electric connections on both ends of the insulated electric wire.