A multi-layered, distributed harness structure

Abstract

The application discloses a multi-layer distributed whole harness structure, which comprises a shell and at least one flat conductor, the shell is provided with a cavity in the length direction, the cavity is provided with at least one insulating base, the insulating base extends along the length direction of the shell, a plurality of clamping parts are arranged on the insulating base and are spaced apart along the length direction of the shell and the length direction perpendicular to the shell, and the flat conductor is clamped in the clamping part and extends along the length direction of the shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wire harnesses, and more specifically, to a multi-layered integral wire harness structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the continuous development of the new energy vehicle industry, automotive electrical and other control systems are also becoming increasingly sophisticated, complex, and diversified. Various wiring harnesses and conduits run through the vehicle body, not only providing electrical connections to various functional components (such as car refrigerators, indicator lights, and wireless charging boxes) but also ensuring the normal power supply to these components. Currently, the wiring harnesses still use ordinary wires with plastic insulation layers. These plastic insulation layers are generally thick, occupying a large area in the cross-section of the harness, which affects the bending radius, resulting in poor fit between the harness and the vehicle body and inconvenient wiring. Therefore, a wiring harness module is needed that can change the circuit structure according to different vehicle configurations to adapt to the overall vehicle requirements. This module should have a simple structure, flexible assembly, and all components should be modularly designed according to the vehicle model configuration. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a multi-layered integral wire harness structure, comprising: a housing and at least one flat conductor, wherein a cavity is provided inside the housing along the length direction, and at least one layer of insulating substrate is provided inside the cavity, the insulating substrate extending along the length direction of the housing, and a plurality of snap-fit ​​portions are provided on the insulating substrate, the snap-fit ​​portions being spaced apart along the length direction of the housing and perpendicular to the length direction of the housing, and the flat conductor being snapped into the snap-fit ​​portions and extending along the length direction of the housing.

[0004] Optionally, the snap-fit ​​portion is spaced apart on the surface of at least one side of the insulating substrate and is integrally formed with the insulating substrate.

[0005] Optionally, the snap-fit ​​portion includes a mounting portion protruding from the surface of the insulating substrate and a barb connected to the mounting portion and facing the surface of the insulating substrate, the tip of the barb abutting against the flat conductor.

[0006] Optionally, the device includes multiple layers of the insulating substrate, which are stacked together and connected to each other via the mounting portion.

[0007] Optionally, the multilayer insulating substrate includes multiple layers of snap-fit ​​portions, and the multiple layers of flat conductors are respectively snapped into the multiple layers of snap-fit ​​portions, with the current flowing in opposite directions in adjacent layers of flat conductors.

[0008] Optionally, the overlap area of ​​two adjacent layers of flat conductors is greater than 70%.

[0009] Optionally, when the flat conductor has more than three layers, the outermost two layers of flat conductor are configured as a grounding loop to shield the inner flat conductor.

[0010] Optionally, one of the adjacent mounting surfaces is provided with a groove and the other with a protrusion, and the groove and the protrusion engage with each other.

[0011] Optionally, the mounting part is provided with a through hole, and the through holes of the multi-layer mounting parts are correspondingly arranged. It also includes a screw and a nut, with the screw passing through the through hole and being screwed into the nut.

[0012] Optionally, at least two of the flat conductors are electrically connected by a wire.

[0013] Optionally, at least one connection hole is provided on the insulating substrate, and the wire passes through the connection hole, with its two ends electrically connected to two flat conductors stacked on both sides of the insulating substrate.

[0014] Optionally, it also includes at least one connector and terminals therein, the terminals being electrically connected to the flat conductor via wires, or the terminals being directly electrically connected to the flat conductor.

[0015] Optionally, the wire and the flat conductor are connected by one or more of the following methods: ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, friction welding, arc welding, laser welding, electron beam welding, pressure diffusion welding, or magnetic induction welding.

[0016] Optionally, the connector is assembled with the housing.

[0017] Optionally, the housing includes a bottom wall and surrounding side walls, with connection ports provided on the side walls, and at least a portion of the connector is placed within the connection ports.

[0018] Optionally, it also includes a cover that engages with the housing. One of the cover and the housing is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove, and the other is provided with at least one snap-fit ​​post. The cover and the housing are engaged by the snap-fit ​​groove and the snap-fit ​​post.

[0019] Optionally, the flat conductor is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

[0020] Optionally, at least one bend is provided on the overall wire harness structure.

[0021] Optionally, the housing is provided with at least one branch housing in a direction different from the extension direction, and at least one set of the insulating substrate and flat conductor extends from the housing into the branch housing.

[0022] This invention utilizes aluminum conductors combined with a plastic substrate to construct a multi-layered, integrated wiring harness structure. The circuit structure can be modified to adapt to different vehicle configurations, resulting in a simple structure, flexible assembly, and modular design of all components to suit various vehicle models. It possesses all the functions and advantages of a wiring harness. Using aluminum conductors as the transmission medium increases the application share of aluminum conductors in vehicles and offers advantages in installation flatness and manufacturability.

[0023] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the multi-layered overall wire harness structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of the multi-layered overall wire harness structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is an internal schematic diagram of the multi-layered overall wire harness structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 The top view of the multi-layered overall wire harness structure of the present invention includes wire harness branches;

[0029] Figure 5 The side view of the multi-layered integral wire harness structure of the present invention includes the bent portion.

[0030] The diagram is marked as follows:

[0031] 1. Cover; 11. Snap-fit ​​groove; 12. Snap-fit ​​post; 2. Housing; 22. Bottom wall; 23. Side wall; 3. Bending part; 4. Insulating substrate; 5. Snap-fit ​​part; 51. Mounting part; 511. Groove / protrusion; 512. Through hole; 52. Barb; 6. Flat conductor; 7. Connector; 71. Wire; 81. Screw; 82. Nut; 9. Mounting and positioning part; 10. Branch housing. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0033] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0034] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0035] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0036] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] This invention provides a multi-layered distributed integral wire harness structure, such as... Figures 1-5 As shown, the device includes: a housing and at least one flat conductor. The housing has a cavity along its length, and the cavity contains at least one layer of insulating substrate extending along the length of the housing. The insulating substrate has several snap-fit ​​portions, which are spaced apart along the length of the housing and perpendicular to its length. The flat conductor is snapped into the snap-fit ​​portions and extends along the length of the housing. The overall wire harness structure of this invention uses a multi-layer substrate and conductor combination, resulting in a simple structure that can be combined according to actual circuit requirements. It is highly versatile, easy to install, and the multi-layered overall wire harness structure has a smooth appearance and saves installation space.

[0038] In some embodiments, the snap-fit ​​portion 5 is disposed on at least one surface of the insulating substrate 4 and is integrally formed with the insulating substrate 4. The snap-fit ​​portion 5 on the surface of the insulating substrate 4 is used to fix the flat conductor, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the snap-fit ​​part 5 can be disposed on one side of the surface of the insulating substrate 4, or it can be disposed on both sides of the insulating substrate 4. The placement position of the snap-fit ​​part 5 is selected according to the position of the flat conductor in actual installation. The snap-fit ​​part 5 is integrally formed with the insulating substrate 4, which is simple to process and does not require assembly. Moreover, the snap-fit ​​part 5 has good stability and will not move or fall off, thus preventing the flat conductor from being effectively fixed.

[0039] In some embodiments, the snap-fit ​​portion 5 includes a mounting portion 51 protruding from the surface of the insulating substrate 4 and a barb 52 connected to the mounting portion 51 and facing the surface of the insulating substrate 4, the tip of the barb 52 abutting against the flat conductor. Figure 1 As shown, the snap-fit ​​part 5 includes a mounting part 51 and a barb 52. The mounting part 51 protrudes from the surface of the insulating substrate 4. The barb 52 is integrally formed with the mounting part 51 and faces the surface of the substrate. When the flat conductor is fixed to the snap-fit ​​part 5, the top end of the barb 52 abuts against the flat conductor to fix the flat conductor. It should be noted that the height of the top end of the barb 52 from the surface of the insulating substrate 4 is determined by the thickness of the flat conductor and is not limited here.

[0040] In some embodiments, the structure includes multiple layers of the insulating substrate 4, which are stacked together and connected by the mounting portion 51. In practical applications of the overall wire harness structure, multiple layers of flat conductors may be included to form different circuits; in this case, multiple layers of insulating substrate 4 are provided, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the multilayer insulating substrates 4 are stacked by interlocking with each other through mounting parts 51.

[0041] In some embodiments, the multilayer insulating substrate includes multiple layers of snap-fit ​​portions, with the multiple layers of flat conductors snapped into each snap-fit ​​portion. The current flowing through adjacent layers of flat conductors flows in opposite directions. The opposite directions of the current flowing through adjacent layers of flat conductors generate opposite magnetic fields on both sides of the insulating substrate, which cancel each other out, reducing electromagnetic interference. This improves the performance and lifespan of electronic devices and is also very low in cost.

[0042] In some implementations, the overlap area of ​​two adjacent layers of flat conductors is greater than 70%. In specific applications, the overlap area of ​​two adjacent layers of flat conductors is generally set to be greater than 70% to facilitate adjustment of the current in the flat conductors according to the current carrying capacity requirements of different circuits, thereby optimizing the electromagnetic compatibility performance of the overall wiring harness structure.

[0043] In some embodiments, when there are more than three layers of flat conductors, the outermost two layers of flat conductors are configured as grounding loops to shield the inner flat conductors. When there are more than three layers of flat conductors, configuring the outermost two layers as grounding loops can prevent external electromagnetic interference to the middle layer conductors, and also prevent the middle layer flat conductors from causing external electromagnetic interference, thereby improving the service life of the electronic equipment.

[0044] In some embodiments, one of the surfaces of adjacent mounting portions 51 is provided with a groove 511 and the other with a protrusion 511, the groove 511 and the protrusion 511 engaging with each other. Furthermore, between the corresponding mounting portions 51 on adjacent insulating substrates 4, one is provided with a groove 511 and the other with a protrusion 511, which cooperate to restrict their positions and enhance the fixing effect between the insulating substrates 4.

[0045] In some embodiments, the mounting portion 51 is provided with a through hole 512, and the through holes 512 of the multiple mounting portions 51 are correspondingly arranged. It also includes a screw and a nut, the screw passing through the through hole 512 and being screwed into the nut. For example... Figure 1 As shown, through holes 512 are provided on some mounting parts 51. The positions of the through holes 512 of the multi-layer mounting parts 51 are correspondingly provided. Screws pass through the through holes 512 and are screwed into nuts to fix the multi-layer insulating substrate 4.

[0046] In some implementations, at least two of the flat conductors are electrically connected by a wire. In specific applications, different conductors can be electrically connected by a wire depending on the different current loop requirements.

[0047] In some embodiments, at least one connection hole (not shown in the figure) is provided on the insulating substrate, and a wire passes through the connection hole to electrically connect the flat conductors stacked on both sides of the insulating substrate. If, according to the requirements of the current loop, the stacked flat conductors need to be electrically connected, connection holes need to be opened in adjacent insulating substrates, and wires are used to pass through the connection holes to electrically connect the flat conductors of different layers.

[0048] In some implementations, a connector and its internal terminals (not shown in the figure) are also included. These terminals are electrically connected to the flat conductor via wires, or the terminals are directly electrically connected to the flat conductor. After the flat conductors in the overall wiring harness structure are arranged according to circuit requirements, they need to be connected to connectors for electrical connection to external electronic devices. The connectors include internal terminals that are electrically connected to the corresponding flat conductors. This connection can be direct, or in other installation scenarios, if the distance between the connector and the corresponding flat conductor is too large, a wire can be used to electrically connect the terminals and the flat conductor.

[0049] In some embodiments, the wire and the flat conductor are connected by one of ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, friction welding, arc welding, laser welding, electron beam welding, pressure diffusion welding or magnetic induction welding.

[0050] Resistance welding is a method of welding that uses a strong current to pass through the contact point between the electrode and the workpiece, generating heat through contact resistance.

[0051] Friction welding is a method that uses the heat generated by friction between the contact surfaces of workpieces as a heat source to cause plastic deformation of the workpieces under pressure, thereby performing welding.

[0052] Ultrasonic welding uses high-frequency vibration waves to be transmitted to the surfaces of two objects to be welded. Under pressure, the surfaces of the two objects rub against each other, forming a fusion between molecular layers.

[0053] Arc welding refers to the use of an electric arc as a heat source, utilizing the physical phenomenon of air discharge to convert electrical energy into the heat and mechanical energy required for welding, thereby achieving the purpose of joining metals. The main methods include shielded metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, and gas shielded welding.

[0054] Laser welding is a highly efficient and precise welding method that uses a high-energy-density laser beam as a heat source.

[0055] Friction welding is a method that uses the heat generated by friction between the contact surfaces of workpieces as a heat source to cause plastic deformation of the workpieces under pressure, thereby performing welding.

[0056] Electron beam welding refers to the welding process that uses an accelerated and focused electron beam to bombard a welding surface placed in a vacuum or non-vacuum environment, causing the workpiece to melt and thus achieving welding.

[0057] Pressure welding is a method of welding that applies pressure to the workpieces, causing the joint surfaces to come into close contact and produce a certain amount of plastic deformation.

[0058] Magnetic induction welding involves two workpieces being subjected to a strong pulsed magnetic field, resulting in a high-speed instantaneous collision. Under the influence of a high pressure wave, the atoms of the two materials meet within the interatomic distance, thus forming a stable metallurgical bond at the interface. It is a type of solid-state cold welding that can weld conductive metals with similar or dissimilar properties together.

[0059] In some embodiments, the connector is assembled with the housing 2. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the connector is assembled and connected to the housing 2, and the connector is electrically connected to the flat conductor. The connector enables the overall wire harness structure to be electrically connected to the external circuit. The position of the connector is determined according to the actual loop layout of the flat circuit.

[0060] In some embodiments, the housing 2 includes a bottom wall 22 and surrounding side walls 23, with connection ports provided on the side walls 23, and a portion of the connector is placed within the connection ports. For example... Figure 1As shown, the housing 2 includes a bottom wall 22 and surrounding side walls 23. A connection port is provided on the side wall 23 to accommodate the connector. The connector connects to the internal flat conductor. Placing the connector in the connection port on the side wall 23 can prevent the connector from protruding from the outer surface of the overall wire harness structure when it is installed, so as not to affect the appearance of the overall wire harness structure.

[0061] In some embodiments, a cover 1 that engages with the housing 2 is also included. One of the cover 1 and the housing 2 has a snap-fit ​​groove 11, and the other has a snap-fit ​​post 12. The cover 1 and the housing 2 are engaged by the engagement of the snap-fit ​​groove 11 and the snap-fit ​​post 12. The snap-fit ​​post 12 is provided on the contact surface between the cover 1 and the housing 2, and the snap-fit ​​groove 11 is provided on the top of the side wall 23 of the housing 2. The engagement of the snap-fit ​​post 12 and the snap-fit ​​groove 11 secures the cover 1 and the housing 2, ensuring the stability of the overall wiring harness structure.

[0062] In some embodiments, the flat conductor is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Aluminum or aluminum alloys are generally chosen as the material for flat conductors because they are lightweight, low-cost, and commonly used conductors in automotive wiring harnesses. The overall wiring harness structure of this invention allows for better application of aluminum or aluminum alloys as conductors in the wiring harness.

[0063] In some embodiments, the overall wire harness structure has at least one bend 3. For example... Figure 5 As shown, when the integrated wiring harness structure is used in the vehicle body, the installation position may have various bending shapes. By providing at least one bend 3, the integrated wiring harness structure can be configured to extend along the shape of the installation position.

[0064] In some embodiments, the housing 2 is provided with at least one branch housing 10 in a direction different from the extension direction, and at least one set of the insulating substrate 4 and the flat conductor 6 extends from the housing 2 into the branch housing 10. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the shape of the insulating substrate 4 is determined according to the circuit layout in the vehicle body and the predetermined circuit layout is set. The flat conductor 6 in the housing 2 extends into the branch housing 10 along a predetermined path.

[0065] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-layered, integral wire harness structure, characterized in that, include: The device comprises a housing and at least one flat conductor. The housing has a cavity along its length, and the cavity contains at least one layer of insulating substrate extending along the length of the housing. The insulating substrate has several snap-fit ​​portions, spaced apart along the length of the housing and perpendicular to its length. The flat conductor is snapped into each snap-fit ​​portion and extends along the length of the housing. The snap-fit ​​portions are spaced apart on at least one surface of the insulating substrate and are integrally formed with the insulating substrate. Each snap-fit ​​portion includes a mounting portion protruding from the surface of the insulating substrate and a barb connected to the mounting portion and facing the surface of the insulating substrate. The tip of the barb abuts against the flat conductor. The device includes multiple layers of the insulating substrate, stacked together and connected to each other via the mounting portions. Each layer of the insulating substrate includes multiple layers of snap-fit ​​portions, and multiple layers of flat conductors are snapped into each layer of snap-fit ​​portions. The current flowing through adjacent layers of flat conductors is in opposite directions.

2. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overlap area of ​​two adjacent layers of flat conductors is greater than 70%.

3. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the flat conductor has more than 3 layers, the outermost two layers of flat conductor are set as grounding loops to shield the inner flat conductors.

4. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the adjacent mounting surfaces is provided with a groove, and the other is provided with a protrusion, and the groove and the protrusion are engaged with each other.

5. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting part is provided with a through hole, and the through holes of the multi-layer mounting part are correspondingly arranged. It also includes a screw and a nut, with the screw passing through the through hole and being screwed into the nut.

6. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two of the flat conductors are electrically connected by a wire.

7. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, At least one connection hole is provided on the insulating substrate, and the wire passes through the connection hole, with its two ends electrically connected to two flat conductors stacked on both sides of the insulating substrate.

8. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes at least one connector and its internal terminals, which are electrically connected to the flat conductor via wires, or the terminals are directly electrically connected to the flat conductor.

9. The integral wire harness structure according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that, The wire and the flat conductor are connected by one or more of the following methods: ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, friction welding, arc welding, laser welding, electron beam welding, pressure diffusion welding, or magnetic induction welding.

10. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The connector is assembled and connected to the housing.

11. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 10, characterized in that, The housing includes a bottom wall and four side walls, with connection ports provided on the side walls, and at least part of the connector is placed in the connection ports.

12. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cover that engages with the housing. One of the cover and the housing is provided with a snap-fit ​​groove, and the other is provided with at least one snap-fit ​​post. The cover and the housing are engaged by the snap-fit ​​groove and the snap-fit ​​post.

13. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flat conductor is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

14. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overall wire harness structure is provided with at least one bend.

15. The integral wire harness structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has at least one branch housing in a direction different from the extension direction, and at least one set of the insulating substrate and flat conductor extends from the housing into the branch housing.

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