Resilient Positioning Device for Heat Shield Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing protective sleeves over sensors in harsh automotive environments, such as engine compartments, are unreliable due to permanent attachment with adhesives and lack of feasibility with heat and vibration, making it difficult to remove or reuse the sleeves for servicing.
Innovation Solution
A positioning device with a resilient band and flexible fingers that can be slid along a wiring harness to securely attach and detach a tubular heat shield, allowing for easy repositioning and maintenance of the protective sleeve without damaging it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive attachment is used to secure the protective sleeve to the sensor, then the attachment reliability is improved, but the ease of removal and reuse deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate components: a positioning device with resilient fingers that can be independently applied and removed from the protective sleeve, rather than using permanent adhesive bonding. This segmentation allows the sleeve to be securely attached during operation yet easily removed for maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device uses resilient fingers that can dynamically adjust their grip on the protective sleeve. The fingers can be compressed to release the sleeve for removal, and naturally return to their original shape to secure the sleeve during operation, providing both reliable attachment and easy removal.
2Ease of operation
If tape or friction fit is used to attach the protective sleeve, then the ease of removal is improved, but the reliability under heat and vibration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device is designed to operate within specific parameter ranges (force, temperature, vibration) that maintain reliable attachment. The resilient fingers are sized and material-selected to provide sufficient gripping force under engine compartment conditions while still allowing manual compression for removal.
3Reliability
If permanent adhesive attachment is used, then the attachment reliability is improved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase due to irreversibility
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device uses the natural elasticity of its resilient fingers to automatically secure the protective sleeve without requiring additional fastening steps or complex assembly procedures. The fingers self-adjust to grip the sleeve when the positioning device is installed, eliminating the need for separate adhesive application or complex mechanical fastening 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
The solution provides a secure and removable attachment system for protective sleeves, enabling easy access for maintenance while maintaining protection against heat and vibration, reducing integration costs and extending the sleeve's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
A positioning device with a resilient band and flexible fingers that can be slid along a wiring harness to securely attach and detach a tubular heat shield
Implementation Method 2
The fingers are resiliently deflectable in opposite first and second axial directions to allow the positioning device and the first elongated member to be slid along the second elongated member
Data Source
AI summary
A method and assembly for protecting a device connected to a wiring harness is disclosed. The assembly includes a protective tubular shield and a positioning device, with the protective tubular shield having a bore for receiving the device at least partially therein. An elongated wiring harness extends from the device being protected and through the bore of the protective tubular shield. The positioning device is formed having a band and at least one flexible, resilient finger extending radially inwardly from the band. At least one of the fingers forcibly engages the wiring harness to releasably maintain the positioning device and the protective tubular shield in a protection position along the wiring harness at least partially surrounding the device being protected.