Methods for manufacturing wire sets and wire assemblies

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing wire sets and wire assemblies. This method comprises the following steps: (S110) providing a metal sheet; (S120) performing a cutting process on the metal sheet to make the metal sheet form at least one conductor with a predefined conductive band; and (S130) forming an insulating layer on the conductor. The wire sets are produced by the wire set production method. The invention proposes a cutting production method for producing wire sets. The production method is simple, convenient for producing complex conductive circuits and can be carried out in rapid, automated large-scale production and achieve high processing speed and accuracy, thereby significantly reducing the cost of wire sets and improving their quality ratio.

Description

Method for manufacturing wiring harness and wiring harness

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese invention patent application with application number 202110873848.5 filed on July 30, 2021, and cites the contents disclosed in the above patent application as part of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of electrical connection, and in particular to a method for manufacturing a wiring harness and the wiring harness. Background Art

[0004] The wiring harnesses currently used for electrical connections are assembled from parts such as wires, terminals, sheaths, positioning parts and brackets. The manufacturing process is complex, especially for wiring harnesses using small-diameter wires. The wire processing is difficult and the processing efficiency is low, resulting in high production costs, high defective rates and low levels of automation.

[0005] Therefore, the wire harness production industry is in urgent need of a wire harness production method with high degree of production automation and low cost.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present application provides a method for manufacturing a wire harness and a wire harness, so as to solve the problems of low automation level and high production cost in current wire harness production.

[0008] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a wiring harness, which includes: step S110: providing a metal sheet; step S120: performing subtractive processing on the metal sheet to form the metal sheet into at least one conductor having a preset conductive track; step S130: forming an insulating layer on the conductor.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness is used to manufacture a wiring harness having n layers of conductors, where n is a positive integer greater than 1. The method for manufacturing a wiring harness also includes: step S100 located before step S110: laying an insulating layer; step S140 located after step S130: repeating steps S110 to S130 (n-1) times until a wiring harness having n layers of conductors is obtained; wherein, in each execution of step S130, forming an insulating layer on the conductor is: laying an insulating layer on the conductor formed in the previous time; and providing a metal sheet in each execution of step S110 is: providing a metal sheet on the insulating layer laid in the previous time.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness is used to manufacture a wiring harness having n layers of conductors, where n is a positive integer greater than 1. The method for manufacturing a wiring harness also includes: step S115 located after step S110 and before step S120: fixing the metal sheet; step S125 located after step S120 and before step S130: repeating steps S110 to S120 (n-1) times until n layers of conductors are formed; wherein each repetition of step S115 includes: maintaining an insulating gap between the metal sheet fixed this time and the metal sheet fixed last time; in step S130, forming an insulating layer on the conductor is: forming an insulating layer on the entire conductor surface and in all the insulating gaps.

[0011] In some embodiments, in step S110 , the provided metal sheet is a metal sheet having a preset shape, and the preset shape is a flat shape or a curved shape.

[0012] In some embodiments, the preset shape is a curved shape, and the metal sheet with a curved shape is formed by forging, rolling, bending, stamping, extrusion or integral casting.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further includes: step S127 located after step S125 and before step S130: electrically connecting predetermined different layers of conductors in the n layers of conductors by welding or crimping.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further includes: step S150 after step S130: electrically connecting predetermined different layers of conductors in the n layers of conductors by drilling holes in the insulating layer and pouring conductive material into the holes.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further includes: step S150 after step S140: electrically connecting predetermined different layers of conductors in the n layers of conductors by drilling holes in the insulating layer and pouring conductive material into the holes.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further includes: Step S160 : after obtaining the wiring harness having n layers of conductors, rolling the wiring harness around a center line into a cylindrical structure.

[0017] In some embodiments, step S155 before step S160: setting a cooling pipe at the center line.

[0018] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further includes: step S170: punching a hole in the insulation layer and inserting a conductive terminal into the hole, so that one end of the conductive terminal extends into the insulation layer and is electrically connected to a designated conductor, and the other end of the conductive terminal is located outside the outermost insulation layer.

[0019] In some embodiments, in step S120, the at least one conductor is a plurality of conductors insulated from each other.

[0020] In some embodiments, in step S120, the subtractive processing is: using a laser or a plasma arc to ablate and remove the area to be removed of the metal sheet.

[0021] In some embodiments, in step S120, performing subtractive processing on the metal sheet is: performing subtractive processing on the metal sheet in a nitrogen or inert gas environment.

[0022] In some embodiments, in step S130, the process of forming the insulating layer is one or more of a coating process, a spraying process, a immersion plating process, an injection molding process, and a dipping process.

[0023] In some embodiments, the step S120 includes: after forming at least one conductor having a preset conductive track, performing a cleaning process and a drying process on the conductor.

[0024] An embodiment of a second aspect of the present application provides a wire harness, which is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0025] In some embodiments, the metal sheet is a rigid metal sheet.

[0026] In some embodiments, the metal sheet is a flexible metal sheet.

[0027] In some embodiments, the material of the metal sheet includes one or more of nickel or its alloys, cadmium or its alloys, zirconium or its alloys, chromium or its alloys, cobalt or its alloys, manganese or its alloys, aluminum or its alloys, tin or its alloys, titanium or its alloys, zinc or its alloys, copper or its alloys, silver or its alloys, and gold or its alloys.

[0028] In some embodiments, the thickness of the metal sheet is 0.03 mm to 68 mm.

[0029] In some embodiments, the material of the insulating layer includes one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, nylon, polypropylene, silicone rubber, cross-linked polyolefin, synthetic rubber, polyurethane elastomer, cross-linked polyethylene, and polyethylene.

[0030] In some embodiments, the breakdown strength of the insulating layer is 0.3 KV / mm-35 KV / mm.

[0031] In some embodiments, the thickness of the insulating layer is 0.03 mm to 5 mm.

[0032] In some embodiments, the wiring harness is a signal wire.

[0033] The characteristics and advantages of the method for manufacturing the wiring harness and the wiring harness of the present application include:

[0034] 1. This application provides a method for manufacturing a wiring harness using a subtractive method. Unnecessary portions of a metal sheet are removed, leaving the remaining portion as the desired conductor. An insulating protective layer is then formed on the outside of the conductor to produce the wiring harness. The manufacturing method is simple, facilitates the production of complex conductive circuits, and enables automated, high-volume, and rapid production. The method also features high processing speed and precision, significantly reducing the cost of the wiring harness and improving the yield rate of the wiring harness.

[0035] 2. This application obtains a wiring harness in which multiple insulating layers and multiple conductors are alternately arranged by alternately manufacturing multiple layers of insulating layers and multiple layers of conductors layer by layer. The manufacturing method is simple, the manufacturing efficiency is high, and the manufacturing cost of a complex wiring harness is reduced;

[0036] 3. This application manufactures multi-layer conductors and then integrally forms an insulating layer on the outside of the multi-layer conductors to obtain a wiring harness in which multiple layers of insulating layers and multiple layers of conductors are alternately arranged. This method is simple, has high manufacturing efficiency, and reduces the manufacturing cost of complex wiring harnesses.

[0037] 4. This application optimizes the design of the electrical circuit by electrically connecting conductors of different layers, and can manufacture wiring harnesses with more complex conductive circuits;

[0038] 5. This application performs a subtractive treatment on the metal sheet in a nitrogen or inert gas environment to prevent oxidation of the metal sheet and improve the quality and qualified rate of the wiring harness;

[0039] 6. This application reduces the space occupied by the wiring harness during assembly by rolling the wiring harness with multiple layers of conductors into a cylindrical structure. When the wiring harness is installed in a groove or angled position instead of a flat surface, the wiring harness can be easily arranged by rolling the wiring harness into a cylindrical structure.

[0040] 7. This application solves the heat dissipation problem of the wiring harness by setting a cooling pipe in the center of the coiled wiring harness and passing flowing cold air or coolant into the cooling pipe;

[0041] 8. This application realizes electrical branch extraction by inserting conductive terminals into the curled wire bundle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] The following figures are intended only to illustrate and explain the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application.

[0043] FIG1 is a schematic flow chart of a first embodiment of a method for manufacturing a wiring harness according to the present application;

[0044] FIG2 is a schematic flow chart of a second embodiment of a method for manufacturing a wiring harness according to the present application;

[0045] FIG3 is a schematic flow chart of a third embodiment of a method for manufacturing a wiring harness according to the present application;

[0046] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a metal sheet subjected to subtractive processing using a laser or plasma arc gun;

[0047] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a first embodiment of a wiring harness of the present application;

[0048] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a second embodiment of the wiring harness of the present application;

[0049] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a third embodiment of the wiring harness of the present application;

[0050] FIG8 is a partial enlarged view of point A in FIG7;

[0051] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth embodiment of the wiring harness of the present application;

[0052] FIG10 is a partial enlarged view of point B in FIG9;

[0053] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a fifth embodiment of the wiring harness of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the present application, the specific implementation methods of the present application are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the term "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this patent can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a wire harness, as shown in FIG1 , FIG4 , and FIG5 , comprising the following steps:

[0056] Step S110: providing a metal sheet 1;

[0057] Step S120: performing a subtractive process on the metal sheet 1 to form at least one conductor 2 having a preset conductive track. The preset conductive track can be a conductive track with any direction and can be set according to actual needs.

[0058] Step S130 : forming an insulating layer 3 on the conductor 2 to wrap the conductor 2 with the insulating layer 3 .

[0059] The present application provides a method for manufacturing a wiring harness in a subtractive manner, wherein unnecessary parts of a metal sheet are removed, and the remaining part is the required conductor. An insulating protective layer is then formed on the outside of the conductor to obtain a wiring harness. The manufacturing method is simple, and is convenient for making complex conductive circuits. It can realize automated, large-scale and rapid production, and has a fast processing speed and high precision, which greatly reduces the cost of the wiring harness and improves the qualified rate of the wiring harness.

[0060] In a first embodiment, as shown in FIG2 , FIG6 , FIG7 , and FIG8 , the method is used to manufacture a wiring harness having n layers of conductors 2 , where n is a positive integer greater than 1, and the method further comprises the following steps:

[0061] Step S100 before step S110: laying the insulation layer 3;

[0062] Step S140 after step S130: repeating steps S110 to S130 (n-1) times until a wiring harness having n layers of conductors 2 is obtained;

[0063] Among them, in each execution of step S130, the forming of the insulating layer 3 on the conductor 2 is: laying the insulating layer 3 on the conductor 2 formed in the previous time; in each execution of step S110, the providing of a metal sheet 1 is: providing a metal sheet 1 on the insulating layer 3 laid in the previous time, that is, the insulating layer 3 and the conductor 2 are manufactured layer by layer to obtain a wiring harness with multiple layers of insulating layers 3 and multiple layers of conductors 2 alternately arranged. The manufacturing method is simple, the manufacturing efficiency is high, and the manufacturing cost of complex wiring harnesses is reduced.

[0064] In this embodiment, the metal sheet 1 can be either a rigid metal sheet or a flexible metal foil. Flexible metal foils are thinner, typically 0.05 mm to 1 mm, and are particularly suitable for making wiring harnesses for small-diameter conductors (e.g., signal lines), thus resolving the difficulty in making wiring harnesses for small-diameter conductors.

[0065] In this embodiment, further, the metal sheet 1 provided in step S110 is a metal sheet having a preset shape, wherein the preset shape is a plane shape or a curved surface shape (three-dimensional shape). When the metal sheet is a rigid metal sheet, the metal sheet needs to be pre-shaped and then placed on the insulating layer. For example, the metal sheet can be shaped by forging, rolling, bending, stamping, extrusion or integral casting. When the metal sheet is a flexible metal foil, the insulating layer can be made into a preset shape, such as making the surface of the insulating layer flat or curved, and then the flexible metal foil is placed on the surface of the insulating layer. The flexible metal foil will naturally adhere to the surface of the insulating layer, and the shape of the flexible metal foil will also be consistent with the surface shape of the insulating layer.

[0066] In this embodiment, the method further includes the following electrical connection step:

[0067] Step S150, which is located after step S140, electrically connects the predetermined different layers of conductors 2 in the n-layer conductor 2 by drilling holes in the insulating layer 3 and pouring the conductive material 4 into the holes. That is, after obtaining the alternating multi-layer insulating layers 3 and multi-layer conductors 2, holes are drilled in the insulating layer 3 and the conductive material 4 is poured into the holes, thereby electrically connecting the predetermined different layers of conductors 2.

[0068] In a second embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , FIG6 , FIG7 , and FIG8 , the method is used to manufacture a wiring harness having n layers of conductors 2 , where n is a positive integer greater than 1. The method for manufacturing the wiring harness further comprises the following steps:

[0069] Step S115 , which is after step S110 and before step S120 , is to fix the metal sheet 1 , for example, by clamping and fixing it with a clamping member such as a clamp;

[0070] Step S125 after step S120 and before step S130: repeating steps S110 to S120 (n-1) times until an n-layer conductor 2 is formed;

[0071] Among them, each repeated execution of step S115 includes: maintaining an insulating gap between the metal sheet 1 fixed this time and the metal sheet 1 fixed last time; in step S130, the insulating layer 3 is formed on the conductor 2, that is, the insulating layer 3 is formed on the entire surface of the conductor 2 and in all insulating gaps, that is, the multi-layer conductor 2 is first made, and then the insulating layer 3 (or insulator) is integrally formed on the outside of the multi-layer conductor 2 to obtain a wiring harness with multi-layer insulating layers 3 and multi-layer conductors 2 alternately arranged. The manufacturing method is simple, the manufacturing efficiency is high, and the manufacturing cost of complex wiring harnesses is reduced.

[0072] In this embodiment, the metal sheet 1 is preferably a rigid metal sheet, because the rigid metal sheet has better rigidity and is easy to fix, while the flexible metal foil is thinner and is difficult to fix without the support of an insulating layer. Therefore, the flexible metal foil is more suitable for being made into a wire harness using the method of the first embodiment.

[0073] In this embodiment, the metal sheet 1 provided in step S110 is a metal sheet having a predetermined shape, wherein the predetermined shape is a flat shape or a curved shape (three-dimensional shape). For example, the metal sheet can be shaped by forging, rolling, bending, stamping, extrusion, or integral casting, and then the shaped metal sheet can be fixed.

[0074] Forging is a processing method that uses a forging machine to apply pressure to a metal blank to cause it to undergo plastic deformation to obtain forgings with certain mechanical properties, shapes, and sizes. It is mainly used for processing thicker rigid metal plates.

[0075] Rolling refers to the mechanical process of deformation of the workpiece between rollers, mainly for the processing of flat shapes and simple curved surfaces.

[0076] Bending refers to a processing method in which metal sheets undergo elastic deformation and then plastic deformation under the pressure of the upper or lower die of the bending machine. It is mainly used for three-dimensional shapes of straight bends.

[0077] Stamping is a forming process that uses a press and a die to apply external force to plates, strips, tubes, and profiles, causing them to plastically deform or separate, thereby obtaining a workpiece (stamping part) of the desired shape and size. It is mainly used for processing rigid metal plates with small thickness and complex shapes.

[0078] Extrusion is a pressure processing method that uses a punch or a punch to pressurize the blank placed in the die to cause it to produce plastic flow, thereby obtaining a workpiece with a shape corresponding to the die hole or the concave and convex molds.

[0079] One-piece casting is a method of pouring liquid metal into a casting cavity that is adapted to the shape of the part, and then obtaining the part in one go after it cools and solidifies.

[0080] In this embodiment, if it is necessary to electrically connect conductors of different layers, there are the following two solutions.

[0081] In a feasible technical solution, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness includes the following electrical connection steps:

[0082] Step S127, which follows step S125 and precedes step S130, electrically connects predetermined conductors of different layers within the n layers of conductors by welding or crimping. Specifically, before forming the insulating layer, the predetermined conductors of different layers are electrically connected, and then an insulating layer is formed outside all the conductors. The conductor connection method in this solution is simple and easy to operate.

[0083] In another feasible technical solution, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness includes the following electrical connection steps:

[0084] Step S150, which is located after step S130, electrically connects the predetermined different layers of conductors 2 in the n-layer conductor 2 by drilling holes in the insulating layer 3 and pouring the conductive material 4 into the holes. That is, first, an insulating layer 3 is made outside all the conductors 2, and then holes are drilled in the insulating layer 3 and the conductive material 4 is poured into the holes, thereby electrically connecting the predetermined different layers of conductors 2.

[0085] In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a wiring harness includes the following steps: Step S160: After obtaining a wiring harness having n layers of conductors 2, the wiring harness is rolled around a center line into a cylindrical structure (as shown in Figures 9 and 10) to reduce space occupied during wiring harness assembly. When the wiring harness is installed in a groove or angled position rather than a flat surface, the wiring harness can be easily arranged by rolling the wiring harness into a cylindrical structure. After the wiring harness is rolled into the cylindrical structure, the wiring harness can be bent according to the shape of the wiring harness installation location.

[0086] Furthermore, in step S155 before step S160, a cooling pipe 8 is provided at the center line of the wiring harness. When the wiring harness is working, flowing cold air or coolant is introduced into the cooling pipe 8 to solve the heat dissipation problem of the wiring harness.

[0087] However, the present application does not limit the installation timing of the cooling tube 8. The wiring harness can be rolled around the cooling tube 8 into a cylindrical structure, or the wiring harness can be rolled into a cylindrical structure first, and a center hole can be reserved at the center line, and then the cooling tube 8 can be inserted into the center hole.

[0088] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing the wiring harness comprises the following steps:

[0089] Step S170: Drill a hole into the insulating layer 3 and insert a conductive terminal 9 into the hole (as shown in FIG11 ). One end of the conductive terminal 9 extends into the insulating layer 3 and is electrically connected to the designated conductor 2. The other end of the conductive terminal 9 is located outside the outermost insulating layer 3 to achieve electrical branching. The electrical connection between the conductive terminal 9 and the designated conductor 2 can be a plug-in contact connection or a welded connection. The conductive terminal 9 can be a male terminal or a female terminal with a slot.

[0090] In one embodiment, in step S120, the at least one conductor is a plurality of mutually insulated conductors, that is, each layer of conductors includes a plurality of mutually insulated conductors, thereby obtaining a wiring harness with a simple structure and a complex conductive loop.

[0091] However, the present application is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, each conductor layer may include only one conductor, or some of the multiple conductors in each conductor layer may be electrically connected, which can be configured according to actual needs.

[0092] In one embodiment, in step S120, the subtractive treatment method is to use a laser or plasma arc to ablate the area to be removed from the metal sheet, for example, the width of the laser or plasma arc ablation is 0.03 mm to 5 mm.

[0093] Specifically, a laser or plasma arc gun 5 is used to ablate and remove the area to be removed of the metal sheet 1. The laser or plasma arc gun 5 can be driven by a three-dimensional servo mechanism. The three-dimensional servo mechanism can be used to program and design the movement path of the laser or plasma arc gun 5, thereby processing conductors of different circuits. The flexible production degree is high and it can be applied to flexible production with many models and small batches.

[0094] However, the present application is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the subtractive processing method may also be mechanical cutting, die cutting, etc.

[0095] In one embodiment, in step S120 , the metal sheet is subjected to a subtractive treatment in a nitrogen or inert gas environment to prevent oxidation of the metal sheet.

[0096] In one embodiment, the process used to form the insulating layer or lay the insulating layer is one or more of a coating process, a spraying process, a dipping process, an injection molding process, and a dipping process.

[0097] In one embodiment, the insulating layer 3 is made of one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, nylon, polypropylene, silicone rubber, cross-linked polyolefin, synthetic rubber, polyurethane elastomer, cross-linked polyethylene, and polyethylene.

[0098] In one embodiment, the step S120 further includes: after forming at least one conductor having a preset conductive track, performing a cleaning process and a drying process on the conductor, and then forming an insulating layer on the conductor.

[0099] The copper foil can be cleaned by one or more of solution washing, ultrasonic cleaning, and high-pressure washing, and the copper foil can be dried by one or more of natural drying, hot and cold air drying, and infrared irradiation drying.

[0100] Natural drying is a method of drying parts under natural conditions using solar radiation, hot air, etc. The characteristics of natural drying are that it takes a long time to dry and occupies a large area, but does not require any equipment or energy.

[0101] Hot and cold air drying uses hot and cold air as the drying medium, exchanging heat and moisture with the parts through forced convection circulation, removing moisture from the surface of the material. Hot and cold air drying is characterized by longer drying times and generally lower efficiency.

[0102] Infrared irradiation drying, also known as radiation drying, is a drying method that uses infrared radiation to vaporize moisture from parts. Infrared irradiation drying is characterized by its high drying speed, but it requires energy.

[0103] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the second embodiment of the present application provides a wire harness manufactured by the method of manufacturing a wire harness according to the first embodiment. The beneficial effects of the wire harness according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the method according to the first embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0104] In one embodiment, the metal sheet 1 is a rigid metal sheet. The rigid metal sheet has good rigidity and is easy to fix. The metal sheet can be shaped by forging, rolling, bending, stamping, extrusion or integral casting, and then the shaped metal sheet is fixed.

[0105] In one embodiment, the metal sheet 1 is a flexible metal sheet, which can be a thin metal plate or a metal foil, and can be easily deformed, and can be used in some wiring harnesses that do not require high current but have complex shapes.

[0106] In one embodiment, the metal sheet 1 is made of one or more of nickel or its alloys, cadmium or its alloys, zirconium or its alloys, chromium or its alloys, cobalt or its alloys, manganese or its alloys, aluminum or its alloys, tin or its alloys, titanium or its alloys, zinc or its alloys, copper or its alloys, silver or its alloys, and gold or its alloys. The most commonly used metal material for conductors is copper or its alloys because copper has relatively good electrical conductivity among metals, is not a precious metal, is easy to process, and has good ductility. However, as copper prices continue to rise, the material cost of using copper as a conductor is becoming increasingly high. Therefore, researchers are seeking alternatives to copper to reduce costs. Aluminum accounts for approximately 7.73% of the Earth's crust. With optimized extraction technology, its price is relatively low. Furthermore, aluminum is lighter than copper and has a conductivity second only to copper. Therefore, aluminum or its alloys can partially replace copper or its alloys in electrical connections.

[0107] In one embodiment, the thickness of the metal sheet 1 is 0.03mm to 68mm. In a wiring harness, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor determines the current that the conductor can conduct. Generally, the conductor that realizes signal conduction has a smaller current and a smaller conductor cross-sectional area. For example, the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the signal line of an automobile wiring harness can reach 0.1mm. 2 , and the conductor that realizes power conduction has a large current and a large conductor cross-sectional area. For example, the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the car battery harness is 260mm 2 .

[0108] When the thickness of the metal sheet 1 is less than 0.03 mm, in order to obtain a cross-sectional area of ​​0.1 mm 2 To cut a conductor with a width of at least 3.3 mm, the smaller the thickness and the larger the width, the strength of the conductor cannot meet the requirements, and the layout of the wiring harness is restricted, and the area of ​​the wiring harness cannot be reduced.

[0109] When the thickness of the metal sheet 1 is greater than 68 mm, in order to obtain a cross-sectional area of ​​260 mm 2 To cut a conductor with a width of at least 3.8mm, the thicker the conductor, the smaller the width. However, the thicker the conductor, the more difficult it is to cut the metal sheet, and the flatness of the cut cannot be guaranteed.

[0110] Therefore, the inventors selected the thickness of the metal sheet 1 to be 0.03 mm to 68 mm, so as to ensure that wire harness conductors with different wire diameters and different conduction currents can be obtained by cutting metal sheets 1 of different widths.

[0111] In one embodiment, the material of the insulating layer 3 includes one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, nylon, polypropylene, silicone rubber, cross-linked polyolefin, synthetic rubber, polyurethane elastomer, cross-linked polyethylene, and polyethylene.

[0112] In one embodiment, the breakdown strength of the insulating layer 3 is 0.3KV / mm-35KV / mm. Breakdown strength is also called dielectric breakdown strength. It indicates the highest electric field strength that a material can withstand to avoid being destroyed (broken down) under the action of an electric field. When the breakdown strength of the insulating layer is lower than 0.3KV / mm, some thinner insulating layers may be broken down under normal voltage, resulting in invalid insulation. When the breakdown strength of the insulating layer is higher than 35KV / mm, since high voltages higher than 35KV will not occur in general vehicle-mounted environments, the use of materials with too high a breakdown strength will increase the cost of the integrated wiring harness assembly, resulting in design waste.

[0113] In one embodiment, the thickness of the insulating layer 3 is 0.03mm-5mm. If the thickness of the insulating layer is less than 0.03mm, not only can the breakdown voltage of the insulating layer not be guaranteed to be higher than the operating voltage, but the wear resistance of the insulating layer cannot be guaranteed. After repeated scraping, the insulating layer will be damaged, exposing the conductor 2, which will lead to leakage or short circuit, causing circuit damage and functional failure. When the thickness of the insulating layer is equal to 5mm, the breakdown voltage, insulation resistance and wear resistance of the insulating layer can meet the requirements, but if the thickness is greater than 5mm, the thickness of the insulating layer is large, and problems such as pores and collapse may occur during the processing, which reduces the performance of the insulating layer. In addition, it also wastes the insulating layer material and increases the processing steps and time. Therefore, the inventors choose an insulating layer with a thickness of 0.03mm-5mm. In one embodiment, the wiring harness is a signal line.

[0114] The existing electrical connection field has more and more electrical appliances with more and more functions and more and more signal transmission lines. Signal lines account for more than 80% of the existing wiring harness circuits. The characteristics of signal lines are that the conduction current is small and no large wire diameter wire is required for conduction. Currently, signal lines mainly use a cross-sectional area of ​​0.5m 2 Small diameter wires, and gradually began to use 0.13m 2 The smaller the wire diameter, the higher the performance requirements for the wire and the requirements for the wire production process, and the cost will also increase. This has become a bottleneck hindering the application of small wire diameter wires in wire harnesses.

[0115] The use of the subtractive method of the present application makes the method of manufacturing signal lines very simple and efficient, with high manufacturing precision and low manufacturing cost, providing support for the application of small-diameter wires in wire harnesses.

[0116] In one embodiment, the conductor 2 of the wiring harness has a terminal located outside the insulating layer 3. The terminals of the conductors 2 of different layers can form a connection point 6 (as shown in Figure 7) by crimping or welding, and the terminal can also be connected to other electrical circuits through the terminal 7 (as shown in Figure 6), such as through a gold finger, a pin terminal, a welding wire, etc.

[0117] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 , the shape of the wire harness is a curled cylindrical structure to reduce the space occupied during assembly of the wire harness.

[0118] As shown in FIG9 , a cooling tube 8 is further provided at the curling center of the wire harness to improve the heat dissipation performance of the wire harness.

[0119] As shown in Figure 11, a conductive terminal 9 is further inserted into the insulating layer 3 of the wiring harness. One end of the conductive terminal 9 is electrically connected to a designated conductor 2, and the other end of the conductive terminal 9 is located outside the outermost insulating layer 3 to realize electrical branching. The conductive terminal 9 can be a male terminal or a female terminal with a slot.

[0120] Compared with the prior art, the method for manufacturing a wiring harness and the wiring harness of the present application have at least the following advantages:

[0121] 1. The production of wiring harnesses by reducing material can achieve automation, large-scale and rapid production, and has fast processing speed and high precision, which greatly reduces the cost of wiring harnesses and improves the qualified rate of wiring harnesses;

[0122] 2. Metal sheets can form a three-dimensional structure of wiring harness, which can be applied to wiring harness assembly in different environments;

[0123] 3. Through the method of material reduction, conductors of different conductive circuits can be processed, with a high degree of flexible production, which can be applied to flexible production with many models and small batches;

[0124] 4. Through the material reduction method, more circuits can be processed on a smaller metal sheet to meet the requirements of more electrical circuits;

[0125] 5. By electrically connecting conductors on different layers, the design of the electrical circuit is optimized, making it suitable for more complex wiring harnesses;

[0126] 6. When performing subtractive ablation processing on metal sheets, nitrogen or inert gas protection can be used to effectively prevent the metal sheets from being oxidized.

[0127] The above description is only an illustrative embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Any equivalent changes and modifications made by any technician in this field without departing from the concept and principle of the present application should fall within the scope of protection of the present application. It should also be noted that the various components of the present application are not limited to the above-mentioned overall application. The various technical features described in the specification of the present application can be selected for use alone or in combination according to actual needs. Therefore, the present application naturally covers other combinations and specific applications related to the invention of this case.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a wiring harness, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness comprises: Step S110: providing a metal sheet; Step S120: performing a subtractive process on the metal sheet to form at least one conductor having a preset conductive track on the metal sheet; Step S130: forming an insulating layer on the conductor.

2. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein The method for manufacturing a wiring harness is used to manufacture a wiring harness having n layers of conductors, where n is a positive integer greater than 1, and the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S100 before step S110: laying an insulation layer; Step S140 after step S130: repeating steps S110 to S130 (n-1) times until a wiring harness having n layers of conductors is obtained; in, In each execution of step S130, forming an insulating layer on the conductor is: laying an insulating layer on the conductor formed in the previous step; In each execution of step S110 , providing a metal sheet is: providing a metal sheet on the insulating layer laid previously.

3. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness is used to manufacture a wiring harness having n layers of conductors, where n is a positive integer greater than 1, and the method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S115 after step S110 and before step S120: fixing the metal sheet; Step S125 after step S120 and before step S130: repeating steps S110 to S120 (n-1) times until n layers of conductors are formed; in, Each repetition of step S115 includes: maintaining an insulating gap between the metal sheet fixed this time and the metal sheet fixed previously; In the step S130 , forming an insulating layer on the conductor includes forming an insulating layer on the entire surface of the conductor and in all the insulating gaps.

4. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: In the step S110 , the provided metal sheet is a metal sheet having a preset shape, and the preset shape is a flat shape or a curved shape.

5. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 4, wherein: The preset shape is a curved surface shape, and the metal sheet with a curved surface shape is formed by forging, rolling, bending, stamping, extrusion or integral casting.

6. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 3, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S127 , which is located after step S125 and before step S130 , electrically connects predetermined different layers of conductors in the n layers of conductors by welding or crimping.

7. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S150 , which is subsequent to step S130 , electrically connects predetermined different layers of conductors in the n-layer conductor by drilling holes in the insulating layer and pouring conductive material into the holes.

8. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 2, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S150 , which is located after step S140 , electrically connects predetermined different layers of conductors in the n layers of conductors by drilling holes in the insulating layer and pouring conductive material into the holes.

9. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S160: rolling the wire harness around a center line into a cylindrical structure.

10. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 9, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S155 before step S160: setting a cooling pipe at the center line.

11. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The method for manufacturing a wiring harness further comprises: Step S170: drilling a hole into the insulating layer and inserting a conductive terminal into the hole, so that one end of the conductive terminal extends into the insulating layer and is electrically connected to a designated conductor, and the other end of the conductive terminal is located outside the outermost insulating layer.

12. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: In the step S120 , the at least one conductor is a plurality of conductors insulated from each other.

13. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: In the step S120 , the subtractive processing is to ablate and remove the area to be removed of the metal sheet using a laser or a plasma arc.

14. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: In the step S120 , the subtractive treatment of the metal sheet is performed by performing subtractive treatment on the metal sheet in a nitrogen or inert gas environment.

15. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: In the step S130 , the process of forming the insulating layer is one or more of a coating process, a spraying process, a dipping process, an injection molding process, and a dipping process.

16. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The step S120 includes: after forming at least one conductor having a preset conductive track, performing a cleaning process and a drying process on the conductor.

17. A wiring harness, wherein: The wire harness is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The wire harness according to claim 17, wherein The metal sheet is a rigid metal sheet.

19. The wire harness according to claim 17, wherein The metal sheet is a flexible metal sheet.

20. The wire harness according to claim 17, wherein The material of the metal sheet includes one or more of nickel or its alloys, cadmium or its alloys, zirconium or its alloys, chromium or its alloys, cobalt or its alloys, manganese or its alloys, aluminum or its alloys, tin or its alloys, titanium or its alloys, zinc or its alloys, copper or its alloys, silver or its alloys, and gold or its alloys.

21. The wire harness according to claim 17, wherein The thickness of the metal sheet is 0.03 mm to 68 mm.

22. The wire harness according to claim 17, wherein The material of the insulating layer includes one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, nylon, polypropylene, silicone rubber, cross-linked polyolefin, synthetic rubber, polyurethane elastomer, cross-linked polyethylene, and polyethylene.

23. The wiring harness according to claim 17, wherein The breakdown strength of the insulating layer is 0.3KV / mm-35KV / mm.

24. The wiring harness according to claim 17, wherein The thickness of the insulating layer is 0.03 mm to 5 mm.

25. The wiring harness according to claim 17, wherein The wiring harness is a signal wire.

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