Flexible Power Distribution Module for Vehicle Wiring Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automobile fuse blocks and junction boxes are complex and inflexible, forcing manufacturers to standardize on a single design, leading to inefficient wiring and increased weight, cost, and potential short-circuiting issues due to extended wire lengths.
Innovation Solution
A flexible power distribution module with a molded insulating housing, a printed circuit board (PCB) system, and customizable component grids that accommodate various types of fuses and connectors, allowing for modular design and easy customization for different vehicle types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single standardized junction box design is used for all vehicles, then manufacturing complexity is reduced and production costs decrease, but wire lengths must be extended to reach distant electrical components, increasing weight and potential short-circuiting risks
Solution Approach 1:
The power distribution system is divided into multiple modular junction boxes distributed throughout the vehicle, with each module handling local electrical connections. This segmentation eliminates the need for long wire runs from a single centralized junction box, reducing overall wiring weight while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single centralized junction box to a distributed array of modular junction box units positioned at different locations throughout the vehicle. This spatial redistribution across multiple dimensions allows electrical connections to be made locally near load devices, dramatically reducing wire lengths and associated weight without compromising manufacturing ease.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single standardized junction box design is used for all vehicles, then production standardization is improved, but flexibility to accommodate different vehicle configurations and electrical needs is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into independent modular junction box units that can be selectively combined and positioned based on specific vehicle requirements. Each module maintains standardized manufacturing processes while the overall system configuration can be customized for different vehicle types and electrical distributions, achieving both production efficiency and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular architecture enables dynamic reconfiguration of the power distribution system to match different vehicle configurations. Standardized modules can be arranged, added, or removed based on specific electrical needs, allowing the system to adapt flexibly to various vehicle types while maintaining standardized manufacturing processes for each module.
3Strength
If multiple press-fit components are used in the junction box assembly, then structural integrity and component retention are improved, but the number of assembly steps and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple press-fit components and fastening elements are merged into an integrated molded housing structure. The housing incorporates built-in retention features, mounting points, and structural reinforcement that eliminate the need for separate press-fit components, thereby maintaining structural integrity while significantly reducing assembly complexity and the number of parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is constructed as a composite molded structure that integrates multiple functional elements into a single piece. This composite approach combines structural support, component retention, and electrical isolation functions into one manufactured part, reducing the need for multiple discrete components and assembly steps while maintaining overall structural strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A power distribution module for a vehicle includes an insulating housing including a component grid, the component grid defining a plurality of circuit protection footprints, the housing further including at least one connector mount or terminal mating location; a printed circuit board (“PCB”) located within the housing and beneath the component grid, the PCB holding a plurality of fuse mounting terminals and at least one connector mounting terminal, the PCB including a plurality of conducting traces connecting the fuse mounting terminals to the at least one connector mounting terminal; and a cover that threadingly engages the housing, the threading engagement leading to a locking of the cover to the housing that tends to prevent the cover from loosening from the housing when the vehicle is being driven, the locking of the cover able to be overcome by a person so that the cover can be unthreaded readily from the housing.