Wire bundle routing assembly and installation method

1. A wire bundle routing assembly for routing and at least partially enclosing a wire bundle or harness between a vehicle door frame and a passenger compartment side of a vehicle door body adjacent hinges pivotally supporting the door on the door frame, the assembly comprising:

a door mounting base slidably receivable in a slot formed in a front wall of a door body and including a wire bundle through-bole formed in the door mounting base;

a door mounting base cover configured to enclose and hold a wire bundle against an inner side of the door mounting base when the cover is installed over the inner side of the door mounting base; and

a first base slide track detent surface on the door mounting base configured and positioned to engage a corresponding first cover slide track detent surface on the cover and to guide the cover as the cover is slid into an installed position on the door mounting base.

2. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 1 and further including:

a latch comprising a base latch component carded by the base; and

a cover latch component carried by the cover, the cover latch component configured to engage the base latch component when the cover reaches the installed position and to retain the cover in the installed position on the base latch component.

3. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 2 in which the latch is configured such that the cover latch component cannot engage the base latch component unless aligned by proper engagement of the first cover slide track detent surface with the first base slide track decent surface.

4. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 2 in which:

the cover includes a second cover slide crack detent surface; and

the door mourning base includes a second base slide track detent surface configured and positioned to engage the corresponding second cover slide track detent surface and to cooperate with the first base slide track detent surface and the first cover slide track detent surface in guiding the cover into the installed position.

5. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 4 in which the latch is configured such that the cover latch component cannot engage the base latch component unless aligned by proper engagement of the first and second cover slide track decent surfaces with the respective first and second base slide track detent surfaces.

6. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 4 in which:

the first base slide track detent surface is spaced laterally and offset longitudinally from the second base slide track detent surface; and

the first cover slide track detent surface is spaced laterally and offset longitudinally from the second cover slide track detent surface such that the offset positions of the first and second cover slide track detent surfaces correspond to those of the first and second base slide track detent surfaces.

7. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 2 in which the base latch component includes a first base latch detent surface on the door mounting base configured and positioned to engage a first corresponding cover latch detent surface on the cover once the first base slide track detent surface has engaged the first cover slide detent surface and the cover has been slid along the first base latch detent surfaces to the installed position.

8. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 7 in which the base latch component includes a second base latch detent surface on the door mounting base configured and positioned to engage a second corresponding cover latch detent surface on the cover once the second base slide track detent surface has engaged the second cover slide detent surface and the cover has been slid along the detent surfaces to the installed position.

9. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 1 in which the cover includes a fastener chat extends from a side panel of the cover and is configured and positioned to engage a corresponding opening in the passenger compartment side of a vehicle door body when the wire bundle routing assembly is slid into position in a slot formed in a front wall of such said vehicle door body and to retain the assembly in the slot.

10. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 1 further including a door frame connector configured to connect one end of each wire of said wire bundle to respective current pathways where those pathways connect to corresponding current pathways in a complementary door frame connector receptacle supported on a vehicle door frame.

11. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 10 further including a tubular bellows extending between and connecting the door frame connector and an outer side of the door mounting base in coaxial alignment with the wire bundle through-hole and configured to flexibly support said wire bundle extending through the wire bundle through-hole to the door frame connector.

12. A wire bundle routing assembly as defined in claim 1 in which a seal ring disposed between a peripheral edge of the cover and the inner side of the door mounting base when the cover is in the installed position on the mounting base and configured to prevent moisture from passing between the door mounting base and the cover when the cover is installed.

13. A method for routing and at least partially enclosing a wire bundle between a vehicle door frame and a passenger compartment side of a vehicle door body adjacent hinges pivotally supporting the door on the door frame, the method including the steps of:

providing a wire bundle routing assembly including a door mounting base, a door mounting base cover, a first base slide crack detent surface on the door mounting base, and a first cover slide crack detent surface on the cover;

providing a wire bundle in a through-hole formed in the front panel of the door mounting base; and

enclosing a portion of the wire bundle against an inner side of the door mounting base by installing the cover on the inner side of the door mounting base, the enclosing step including engaging the first cover slide track detent surface against the first base slide track detent surface and sliding the cover along a track defined by the engagement of the first cover slide track decent surface with the first base slide track detent surface until the cover reaches an installed position on the mounting base.

14. The method of claim 13 in which:

the step of providing a wire bundle routing assembly includes providing a second base slide track detent surface on the door mounting base and a second cover slide track detent surface on the cover; and

the enclosing step includes causing the second base slide track detent surface to engage the corresponding second cover slide track detent surface on the cover and to cooperate with the first base slide track detent surface and the first cover slide track detent surface in guiding the cover into the installed position.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the step of providing a wire bundle routing assembly includes:

providing the second slide track detent surface in a position spaced laterally and offset longitudinally from the first base slide track detent surface; and

providing the second cover slide track detent in a position spaced laterally and offset longitudinally from the first cover slide track detent.

16. The method of claim 13 in which:

the step of providing a wire bundle routing assembly includes providing a latch comprising a base latch component carried by the base and a cover latch component carried by the cover; and

the enclosing step includes sliding the cover until the cover latch component engages the base latch component in the installed position.