Circuit Board Harness Routing for Variable Mounting Configurations
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to design an image forming apparatus that can accommodate electric circuit boards of different sizes while using a common harness, as existing solutions struggle to maintain consistent harness lengths due to varying board sizes, affecting usability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a housing with distinct mounting areas for circuit boards of different sizes, where the harness is bent at a specific point when mounting the first board but not when mounting the second board, ensuring the same side positions and reduced distance between connector ends, allowing a common harness to be used across configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electric circuit boards of different sizes are used for different configurations, then the image forming apparatus can achieve multiple configurations with different functions, but the connectors of user interfaces cannot be arranged at the same position and harness lengths must change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a common harness that can be used across multiple configurations with different circuit board sizes. The mounting areas are designed to accept different board sizes while maintaining consistent connector positions, allowing the same harness to connect electrical components to various board types without modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring that specific regions of the mounting area (where user interface connectors are located) maintain consistent positioning and characteristics, while other regions can accommodate variations in board size. This allows different configurations to share the same connector positions while still supporting different board dimensions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electric circuit boards of different sizes are used for different configurations, then the image forming apparatus can achieve multiple configurations with different functions, but harness lengths must change making it difficult to use a common harness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a common harness that can be used across multiple configurations with different circuit board sizes. The mounting areas are designed to accept different board sizes while maintaining consistent connector positions, allowing the same harness to connect electrical components to various board types without modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by allowing the harness routing to adapt dynamically to different board configurations. The harness can be routed through different paths depending on which configuration is installed, while still maintaining consistent external connection points and overall functionality.
3Ease of operation
If connectors of user interfaces are arranged at the same position for different configurations, then usability for users is improved, but other connectors must be arranged at different positions requiring different harness lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring that specific regions of the mounting area (where user interface connectors are located) maintain consistent positioning and characteristics, while other regions can accommodate variations in board size. This allows different configurations to share the same connector positions while still supporting different board dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by designing a common harness that can be used across multiple configurations with different circuit board sizes. The mounting areas are designed to accept different board sizes while maintaining consistent connector positions, allowing the same harness to connect electrical components to various board types without modification.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a harness of which one end is connected to an electrical component. Another end of the harness is connected to a second side of a first circuit board with the harness being bent at a bending point when the first circuit board is mounted to a first mounting area, and is connected to a second side of a second circuit board without the harness being bent at the bending point when the second circuit board is mounted to a second mounting area. A first side of the first circuit board and a first side of the second circuit board are positioned at the same position when mounted. A distance between the second side of the first circuit board and the second side of the second circuit board is smaller than a distance between the bending point and the second side of the first circuit board.