Electrical Harness Coating Wear Inspection Under Metallic Clips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical harnesses with non-metallic sheathing experience undue wear due to metallic clips, leading to coating degradation, especially under vibration, which is undesirable and difficult to detect effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a protective coating with a dye that absorbs specific electromagnetic wavelengths, allowing for inspection of wear by applying UV or infrared light and using a smartphone to evaluate the remaining dye coverage, enabling the quantification of coating wear and facilitating recoating when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metallic clips are used to hold electrical harnesses, then the holding strength is improved, but the wear on the non-metallic sheathing increases due to hardness difference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a protective coating containing dye that changes appearance under UV or infrared light based on coating thickness. This allows visual detection of wear areas where the coating has been removed, enabling monitoring of the wear problem caused by metallic clips without changing the clip material itself.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If protective coating is applied to the sheathing, then the wear resistance is improved, but the detection of coating wear becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The protective coating contains a dye that absorbs UV or infrared light. When the coating is intact, it appears one way; when worn away, the underlying surface appears different under UV/IR illumination. This optical property change enables easy visual detection of wear without complex measurement equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The dye in the coating acts as an intermediary that translates the physical condition of the coating (intact vs. worn) into an optical signal that can be easily detected by the human eye or simple sensors, solving the detection difficulty.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the sheathing material is made harder to resist wear, then the wear resistance is improved, but the compatibility with metallic clips deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite protective coating applied over the non-metallic sheathing. This coating provides the necessary wear resistance against metallic clips while maintaining the original sheathing material's properties, thus preserving compatibility with existing metallic clip systems.
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 method allows for accurate detection and monitoring of coating wear on electrical harnesses, preventing excessive wear and ensuring the integrity of the sheathing, even in vibration-prone environments, while also providing protection against bacterial and fungal growth.
Implementation Method 1
the protective coating having a dye which absorbs a particular range of electromagnetic wavelengths
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3A~5
AI summary
A method of inspecting a component, e.g. an electrical harness comprising a central electric wire 30 surrounded by a sheathing 32, includes the steps of identifying a component (22) having an outer surface of a first hardness, and mounted with a holding member (26), e.g. a metal clip having a loop (28) surrounding the harness, of a second hardness which is greater than the first hardness. A protective coating is provided about the first component, and the protective coating having a fluorescent dye which absorbs a particular range of electromagnetic wavelengths. The amount of the dye remaining in the coating is inspected by applying black light (UV) (62) and detecting the emitted fluorescence by means of e.g. an smartphone (50) or visually by a user wearing googles (100) to identify the degree of wear of the coating.