Adjustable Wire Harness Assembly for Tight Bend Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
During early product development stages, uncertainties in wire harness routing and bending capabilities make it difficult to accurately model the length and flexibility of cable harnesses, leading to issues with wires being too short to connect or too long to reach due to bend radii in tightly packed electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and structure for a wire harness that allows wires to be adjusted in length after installation by using a connector housing with oversized wire apertures, enabling wires to be cut and connected to connector pins before fixing them in place using a connector cap or snap features and epoxy, ensuring proper length and positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire length is increased to ensure connections are not too short, then connection reliability is improved, but wire harness may become too long to reach due to bend radii constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The wire harness system transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic adjustable-length design. The wire can be inserted to a preliminary position through the connector housing, then adjusted to the precise final length by moving it through the housing before being secured by the connector cap. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by allowing the wire length to be optimized for each specific installation scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector housing is designed with an oversized aperture that allows the wire to be inserted to a preliminary position before final length adjustment. This preliminary insertion enables the wire to be positioned roughly in place without committing to a final length, allowing subsequent adjustment to the precise required length while avoiding both too-short and too-long conditions.
2Volume of moving object
If wire length is decreased to fit within bend radius constraints, then spatial efficiency is improved, but wires may become too short to reach connections
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable length mechanism allows the wire harness to be optimized for specific spatial constraints. The wire can be trimmed to the minimum necessary length that still achieves reliable connection, eliminating excess length that would waste space or create unnecessary bend radius issues, while ensuring the connection reliability is maintained through precise length adjustment.
3Productivity
If wire harness assembly is simplified for early prototype, then manufacturing speed is improved, but precision of wire routing and length may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing with oversized aperture enables preliminary wire insertion during rapid prototype assembly, allowing fast assembly without precise length cutting initially. The wire can be inserted to a rough position quickly, then the precise final length and routing can be adjusted afterward, separating the rapid assembly phase from the precision adjustment phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire harness assembly process is segmented into distinct phases: preliminary insertion through the oversized aperture (rapid, low precision), followed by length adjustment and final securing (precise, time-consuming). This segmentation allows the majority of assembly to be performed quickly while concentrating precision work on the critical final positioning step.
4Manufacturing precision
If connector aperture is sized precisely for wire diameter, then manufacturing precision is improved, but wire length adjustment capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing aperture is deliberately designed to be oversized relative to the wire diameter, creating a clearance that enables preliminary wire insertion without precise positioning. This oversized aperture sacrifices some manufacturing precision in favor of enabling the preliminary action that precedes the final precise length adjustment and securing operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of assembling a wire harness adapted for use with a piece of electrical equipment includes several steps. The wire harness includes a plurality of wires, a plurality of connector pins, and an electrical connector. The electrical connector is configured to be coupled to the piece of electrical equipment.