Flat Wire Harness Layout for Tight Vehicle Routing Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
When routing a wire harness in a vehicle, especially in limited spaces like the roof or floor, variations in electric wire diameters lead to protrusions, recesses, and dead space due to thickness variations, making it difficult to fit the harness effectively.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness configuration where the thickness of all electric wires is kept substantially the same, with varying transverse cross-sectional areas, and the harness is routed in a wrapped state with inner and outer harnesses close to each other, reducing thickness direction space and preventing dead space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If electric wires with varying diameters are arranged flat side by side, then the wire harness can be formed in a flat state for routing, but protrusions and recesses appear on the surface and dead space is generated in the thickness direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the thickness of electric wires in the thickness direction of the base member substantially uniform, while allowing the transverse cross-sectional areas (widths) of the wires to vary according to their respective requirements. This localized differentiation in dimensional properties eliminates dead space while maintaining the flat configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the space utilization issue by shifting the variation dimension from the thickness direction to the width direction. Instead of varying wire thicknesses (which creates dead space), wires with different transverse cross-sectional areas achieve their size requirements through width variations while maintaining uniform thickness, thereby eliminating dead space in the thickness direction.
2Volume of stationary object
If the thickness of electric wires is made uniform, then dead space is prevented and space is saved, but the transverse cross-sectional area must be varied which may affect wire selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by decoupling the thickness parameter from the transverse cross-sectional area parameter. The thickness of all wires in the thickness direction is standardized to a uniform value, while the transverse cross-sectional areas are differentiated through width variations. This parameter separation maintains space efficiency while accommodating different wire size requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the width of non-minimum-diameter electric wire is made greater than the thickness of minimum-diameter electric wire, then the thickness of wire harness remains uniform, but the width direction dimension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by strategically assigning dimensional variations to specific wire types based on their requirements. Non-minimum-diameter wires have widths greater than the thickness of minimum-diameter wires, creating a stepped width profile that maintains uniform thickness while accommodating larger wire cross-sections without increasing overall harness thickness.
Data Source
AI summary
The wire harness 11 disclosed by the present specification includes: a sheet-shaped base member 12; and a plurality of covered electric wires W fixed side by side along the base member 12, in which the transverse cross-sectional area of at least one of the plurality of covered electric wires W is different from the transverse cross-sectional area of another covered electric wire W, and the thickness of the covered electric wire W is substantially the same as the thickness of the covered electric wire W adjacent thereto.