Construction for stopping water from penetrating into drain wire contained in shielded wire and method for stopping water from penetrating thereinto

Abstract

A Drain wire led out from the interior to the exterior of a shielded wire is covered with a heat shrinkable tube made of an insulating resin or with a rubber tube including silicon or EPDM (ethylene-propylene rubber). A water-stop agent is penetrated between the element wires of the drain wire in the heat shrinkable tube or the rubber tube. In addition, A boundary portion between a terminal connected to an end of the drain wire and the heat shrinkable tube is covered with a rubber stopper.

1 . A wire harness comprising:
 a drain wire having strands;   a shielded wire, formed of metal braid or metal foil, that contacts the drain wire;   an insulated coated electric wire serving as a core electric wire, the coated electric wire and the drain wire being disposed within the shielded wire;   a sheath surrounding the shielded wire and defining a front end, a length of the coated electric wire and the drain wire projecting from the front end;   a tube covering the length of the drain wire that projects from the front end of the sheath, the tube being formed from rubber or shrinkable material that shrinks when heated; and   a water-stopping agent that: 1) in a liquefied state is capable of being introduced into one end of the tube, by sucking air from another end of the tube, and thereby filling the tube including areas between the strands of the drain wire; and 2) in solid state is disposed within the tube and between the strands of the drain wire so as to impede water from penetrating into the drain wire.   
     
     
         2 . A wire harness comprising:
 a drain wire having strands;   a shielded wire, formed of metal braid or metal foil, that contacts the drain wire;   an insulated coated electric wire serving as a core electric wire, the coated electric wire and the drain wire being disposed within the shielded wire;   a sheath surrounding the shielded wire and defining a front end, a length of the coated electric wire and the drain wire projecting from the front end;   a tube covering the length of the drain wire that projects from the front end of the sheath, the tube being formed from rubber or shrinkable material that shrinks when heated; and   a water-stopping agent that: 1) in a liquefied state is capable of being dripped or applied to the length of the drain wire that projects from the front end of the sheath, penetrating between the strands of the drain wire, the drain wire being subsequently inserted through the tube; and 2) in a solid state is disposed within the tube and between the strands of the drain wire so as to impede water from penetrating into the drain wire.   
     
     
         3 . A wire harness comprising:
 a drain wire having strands;   a shielded wire, formed of metal braid or metal foil, that contacts the drain wire;   an insulated coated electric wire serving as a core electric wire, the coated electric wire and the drain wire being disposed within the shielded wire;   a sheath surrounding the shielded wire and defining a front end, a length of the coated electric wire and the drain wire projecting from the front end;   a tube having an obliquely cut portion or a slit portion formed by a cut-out at a front end thereof, and covering the length of the drain wire that projects from the front end of the sheath, the tube being formed from rubber or material that shrinks when heated, the drain wire being inserted through the tube; and   a water-stopping agent that: 1) in a liquefied state is capable of being dripped or applied onto the obliquely cut portion or the slit portion of the tube filling areas between the strands of the drain wire; and 2) in a solid state is disposed within the tube and between the strands of the drain wire so as to impede water from penetrating into the drain wire.   
     
     
         4 . The wire harness, according to  claim 1 , wherein a boundary portion between a terminal connected to an end of the drain wire and the heat shrinkable tube is covered with a rubber stopper. 
     
     
         5 . The wire harness, according to  claim 1 , wherein the tube is the rubber tube containing silicone or EPDM (ethylene-propylene rubber); and a terminal connected to an end of the drain wire is connected to a peripheral surface of the tube by solderless connection. 
     
     
         6 . The wire harness, according to  claim 1 , wherein the shielded wire is disposed in a waterproof region inside a vehicle; and both a terminal connected to an end of the drain wire and a terminal connected to an end of the coated electric wire that project from the front end of the sheath are connected to an appliance disposed inside the waterproof region. 
     
     
         7 . The wire harness, according to  claim 2 , wherein the shielded wire is disposed in a waterproof region inside a vehicle; and both a terminal connected to an end of the drain wire and a terminal connected to an end of the coated electric wire that project from the front end of the sheath are connected to an appliance disposed inside the waterproof region. 
     
     
         8 . The wire harness, according to  claim 3 , wherein the shielded wire is disposed in a waterproof region inside a vehicle; and both a terminal connected to an end of the drain wire and a terminal connected to an end of the coated electric wire that project from the front end of the sheath are connected to an appliance disposed inside the waterproof region. 
     
     
         9 . A wire harness, having a construction for stopping water from penetrating into a drain wire contained in a shielded wire, which is produced by a process comprising:
 stripping a necessary length of a sheath of the shielded wire from a front end of the sheath;   leading out an insulated coated electric wire serving as a core electric wire and a drain wire in contact with a shielding material made of a metal brain or a metal foil;   covering the drain wire led out with a heat shrinkable tube and heating the heat shrinkable tube or covering the drain wire led out with a rubber tube; and   while sucking air from one end of the heat shrinkable tube or the rubber tube, supplying a water-stopping agent into the heat shrinkable tube or the rubber tube from another end thereof to fill the water-stopping agent between strands of the drain wire contained inside the tube.   
     
     
         10 . A wire harness, having a construction for stopping water from penetrating into a drain wire contained in a shielded wire, which is produced by a process comprising:
 stripping a necessary length of a sheath of the shielded wire from a front end of the sheath;   leading out an insulated coated electric wire serving as a core electric wire and a drain wire in contact with a shielding material made of a metal brain or a metal foil;   dripping or applying a water-stopping agent to the drain wire led out to penetrate the water-stopping agent between strands of the drain wire; and   inserting the drain wire into which the water-stopping agent has penetrated through a heat shrinkable tube to cover the drain wire with the heat shrinkable tube and heating the heat shrinkable tube for shrinkage or inserting the drain wire into which the water-stopping agent has penetrated through a rubber tube to cover the drain wire with the rubber tube.   
     
     
         11 . A wire harness, having a construction for stopping water from penetrating into a drain wire contained in a shielded wire, which is produced by a process comprising:
 stripping a necessary length of a sheath of the shielded wire from a front end of the sheath;   leading out an insulated coated electric wire serving as a core electric wire and a drain wire in contact with a shielding material made of a metal braid or a metal foil;   inserting the drain wire into a heat shrinkable tube having an obliquely cut portion or a slit portion formed by a cut-out at a front end thereof;   dripping or applying a water-stopping agent to the obliquely cut portion or the slit portion and placing the water-stopping agent therein, and thereafter heating the heat shrinkable tube for shrinkage; and   filling the water-stopping agent between strands of the drain wire contained inside the tube.