Insulation-Piercing Connectors for Motor Vehicle PCB Cabling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cabling systems for motor vehicle lamps with multiple electronic printed circuit boards are inefficient in reducing cable length and optimizing cable paths, leading to potential breakage and overheating, and often require manual connection which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A cabling system utilizing insulation-piercing multipolar connectors with pass-through seats and insulation-piercing electrical contacts to efficiently distribute power and ground signals to multiple boards, allowing for automatic or semi-automatic connection and reducing cable length and disorderliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual cabling methods are used to connect multiple electronic boards, then flexibility in connection is maintained, but installation time increases and error-prone manual operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The cable bundle is segmented into multiple independent cable paths within a single connector housing. Each cable path contains insulation-piercing contacts that can independently pierce and connect to corresponding cables, enabling automated connection while maintaining organized cable routing. This segmentation allows the connector to process multiple cables simultaneously in an automated manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical connection process is replaced by an automated insulation-piercing mechanism. The insulation-piercing contacts automatically pierce the cable insulation and establish electrical connections without requiring manual wire stripping or terminal attachment, thereby increasing productivity and reducing human error.
2Ease of operation
If cables are routed loosely to accommodate multiple boards, then ease of connection is improved, but cable length increases and risk of breakage and overheating increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector organizes cables in a three-dimensional structured arrangement within its housing. Cable seats are positioned at different locations and orientations, allowing cables to be routed efficiently through the connector body rather than loosely across the assembly. This spatial organization reduces cable length while maintaining ease of connection through the structured cable paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector divides the cable bundle into separate, organized cable paths, each with its own cable seat and insulation-piercing contact. This segmentation prevents cables from tangling or crossing unnecessarily, reducing the overall cable length required while maintaining ease of connection through the organized structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate connectors are used to connect different cables to multiple boards, then connection flexibility is maintained, but device complexity and cable disorder increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate connectors are merged into a single multi-functional connector housing that contains multiple cable seats and insulation-piercing contacts. This unified connector can simultaneously handle multiple cables (power, ground, signal) and connect them to multiple electronic boards, thereby reducing the total number of connectors while maintaining connection flexibility through its multi-capability design.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed as a universal multi-functional device that can accommodate different types of cables (power, ground, signal) through its multiple cable seats. Each cable path can be independently configured to connect to different electronic boards, providing versatility without requiring multiple specialized connectors.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 2
Figure 3~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a cabling system and method for connecting, to a plurality of electronic printed circuit boards, a common electrical cable (22), for example a grounding cable, and respective electrical board wires (23-29), for example power supply cables. The system comprises a bundle of electrical cables (21), and a plurality of multipolar, insulation-piercing connectors (30-36) placed in succession along said bundle of cables. Each of said connectors is suitable to receive the common electrical cable, the board cable to be connected to the respective electronic board, and the board cables that must be connected to the successive connectors, and is suitable to transmit to a successive insulation-piercing connector, the common electrical cable and the board cables that must be connected to the successive connectors.