High Voltage Wire Harness Cut-Off Insulation Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage wire harnesses in hybrid and electric vehicles face instability when the conductive path is cut off during collisions, leading to potential electrical hazards due to exposure of conductive portions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an insulation member that extends outside the cut-off conductive portions, preventing contact and exposure by forming a protective barrier, which includes a main body and an extension portion, and can be made of elastomer for flexibility, ensuring the conductive paths remain covered even when cut.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conductor is made cuttable with a cut-off facilitating portion, then the conductor can be separated during collision, but the separated conductive portions may come into contact with conductive members causing electrical hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation member is preliminarily configured to extend beyond the conductor in the axial direction, creating a protective barrier before collision occurs. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the conductor separates during impact, the exposed ends remain covered by the pre-positioned insulation member, preventing electrical hazards while maintaining the ease of separation function
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation member acts as a protective cushion that extends beyond the conductor ends before collision. This beforehand cushioning prevents direct exposure of conductive portions during separation, absorbing the potential harmful effect of electrical contact while preserving the conductor's ability to separate during impact
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the insulation member covers the entire conductor including cut-off portions, then exposure is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation member is designed with non-uniform coverage, extending beyond the conductor only in the axial direction at the ends where exposure would occur during separation. This local quality approach provides protection precisely where needed (at the potential exposure points) while avoiding unnecessary complexity in other areas, maintaining a balance between safety and structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation member's extension beyond the conductor is segmented to specific regions (axial ends) rather than requiring complete coverage of the entire conductor length. This segmentation provides targeted protection at critical points while reducing overall structural complexity compared to full-coverage designs
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 configuration effectively prevents exposure of the conductive portions during cuts, ensuring stability and safety by restricting electrical contact, thus maintaining the integrity of the wire harness even under impact conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the insulation member can be made of elastomer for flexibility, ensuring the conductive paths remain covered even when cut
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A conductive path structure (81) includes a conductor (82) that includes a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion which are connected to each other through a cut-off facilitating portion (84), and an insulation member (83) that covers the cut-off facilitating portion (84) directly or indirectly. When the cutt-off facilitating portion (84) is cut off so as to separate the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion to each other due to an impact appplied to the cut-off facilitating portion (84), the insulation member (83) is configured so as to cover the separated first conductive portion and the separated second conductive portion.