Cable Harness Tape Structure for Faster Termination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing composite cables used for wiring from a vehicle body to a wheel are time-consuming to terminate due to the difficulty in removing the separating sleeve.
Innovation Solution
A cable design featuring a tape member made of a mixture of high and low melting point PET fibers, where the low melting point fiber is integrated with the outer sheath during extrusion molding, allowing for easier removal of the tape member during termination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a separating sleeve is used to surround multiple conductors, then the cable structure is stabilized and conductors are protected, but the time required to remove the separating sleeve during termination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separating sleeve is segmented into multiple sections along its length, with at least one section being removable. This allows the sleeve to provide structural stability during cable assembly while enabling easy removal from specific sections during termination operations, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining structural integrity and facilitating quick disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable section of the separating sleeve is designed to be extracted from the cable assembly during termination. This extracted portion can be easily removed from the conductor bundle, allowing terminators to access individual conductors quickly without having to remove the entire separating sleeve structure, thereby reducing termination time while maintaining the protective function of the remaining sleeve sections.
2Strength
If a tape member is adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the outer sheath, then the cable structure is reinforced, but the tape member becomes difficult to remove during termination
Solution Approach 1:
The tape member is designed with different adhesive properties at different locations. The portion adhered to the outer sheath has strong adhesion for structural reinforcement, while a specific section is designed with reduced adhesion or a release mechanism that allows easy removal during termination. This local differentiation of adhesive quality enables the tape to simultaneously provide structural strength and facilitate easy removal when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable section is pre-designed into the tape member structure before cable assembly. This preliminary configuration includes features such as tear lines, release tabs, or reduced-adhesion zones that enable operators to easily initiate removal of the tape member from specific sections during termination, without requiring excessive force or special tools, thus maintaining both structural integrity and operational ease.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design significantly reduces the time required to remove the tape member during cable termination by ensuring it peels off with the outer sheath, enhancing work efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the low melting point fiber is integrated with the outer sheath during extrusion molding
Data Source
AI summary
A cable includes a plurality of electric wires including a conductor and an insulating member coating a periphery of the conductor, a tape member provided over a periphery of an aggregate configured by laying the plurality of electric wires together, and an outer sheath provided over an outer periphery of the tape member. The tape member includes a mixture of a first fiber having a melting point and a second fiber having a melting point lower than the melting point of the first fiber. The first fiber has the melting point higher than an extrusion molding temperature of the outer sheath, and the second fiber has the melting point lower than the extrusion molding temperature of the outer sheath.