Armrest Connector Orientation for Simplified Wire Harness Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing armrest mounting systems on vehicle seats face difficulties in connecting wire harnesses due to lack of clear processes for routing and mounting, making it challenging to ensure sufficient space for connector coupling and protecting the wire harnesses.
Innovation Solution
An armrest design featuring a frame with a mounting portion, an armrest-side wire harness, and a connector that projects towards a mount member, along with a protector that enhances protection and operability by reducing the cross-sectional area of the mount member, allowing for easier connection and increased strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the armrest is mounted on the side surface of the seat with the connector open toward the seat, then the connection process becomes more intuitive and easier to operate, but the wire harness requires sufficient space for routing and coupling which may not be available in compact mounting configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is reoriented to open in the direction from the mounting surface toward the mount member (seat), changing the spatial dimension of connection access. This dimensional reorientation allows operators to connect the wire harness from the seat side rather than from the armrest side, improving accessibility and ease of connection while accommodating space constraints in compact mounting configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a connector as an intermediary component that facilitates the connection between the armrest-side wire harness and the seat-side wire harness. The connector acts as a mediator that can be accessed from the seat side, allowing the wire harness connection to be performed through an intermediate access point that resolves the spatial conflict between compact mounting requirements and sufficient connection space.
2Reliability
If the connector is positioned inside the armrest housing, then the internal structure is protected, but the connection process becomes complex and unclear for users
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is pre-positioned and pre-oriented within the armrest housing during manufacturing, with its opening direction specifically configured to face toward the mount member. This preliminary action during assembly ensures that the connector is already in the optimal position for seat-side access, eliminating the need for complex user adjustments or unclear connection procedures while maintaining internal protection.
3Ease of manufacture
If the wire harness is routed through a larger cross-sectional area in the mount member, then the installation is easier, but the structural strength of the mount member is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: a through-hole portion for wire harness passage and a mounting surface portion for structural attachment. This segmentation allows the through-hole to be optimized for ease of wire harness installation while the mounting surface maintains full structural strength, as each zone performs its specific function independently without compromising the other.
Data Source
AI summary
An armrest includes a frame, a mounting portion included in the frame and having a mounting surface with which the mounting portion is mounted on a bracket of a seat, an armrest-side wire harness arranged in the frame, and an armrest-side connector connected to the armrest-side wire harness and being open in a direction from the mounting surface toward the bracket.