Robotic Wiring Harness Folding and ECU Connector Mating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manual effort required for installing vehicle electrical systems, particularly wiring harnesses and connectors, is significant and inefficient, necessitating a reduction in manual labor through automation.
Innovation Solution
The development of a wiring harness with stiffeners and a rigid gripping member that can be manipulated by a robotic actuator to fold, unfold, and position the harness, along with an electronic control unit (ECU) featuring a carrier plate for staged alignment and robotic mating of connectors, facilitating robotic installation and reducing manual effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual installation methods are used for wiring harnesses and connectors, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor intensity and installation time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring harness is divided into multiple segments with folding points, allowing it to be compacted for automated handling and then unfolded to the desired configuration during installation. The connector assembly is segmented into a carrier plate with multiple connector portions that can be independently positioned and mated
Solution Approach 2:
Connectors are pre-assembled on the carrier plate in their final mating configuration before installation. The wiring harness is pre-folded into a compact shape with defined folding points, preparing it for automated robotic manipulation and reducing in-situ assembly steps
2Extent of automation
If wiring harnesses are designed for easy manual handling, then ease of operation is improved, but automation compatibility and robotic manipulation capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring harness segments are folded into a nested, compact configuration that fits within standardized packaging and facilitates automated storage and retrieval. The carrier plate nests multiple connector portions in a compact arrangement that allows robotic grippers to access and manipulate the assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid gripping member serves as an intermediary between the robotic actuator and the wiring harness, providing a standardized interface for automated manipulation. The carrier plate acts as an intermediary structure that holds multiple connectors in a fixed configuration, enabling robotic assembly without complex individual connector handling
3Productivity
If multiple connectors are assembled individually, then precision and reliability are maintained, but installation time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple connector portions are merged into a single carrier plate assembly, allowing them to be installed simultaneously as one unit. The wiring harness segments are merged into a single folded structure that can be manipulated and positioned as one component, reducing the number of separate installation operations required
4Stability of the object's composition
If wiring harnesses are made flexible for routing, then adaptability is improved, but structural stability and robotic gripping reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring harness transitions from a flexible state during routing to a stable, folded configuration during storage and transport. The folding points provide defined articulation points that maintain structural integrity while allowing the harness to conform to vehicle contours when deployed
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices providing for the robotic installation of vehicle electrical systems are described. A vehicle wiring harness includes first and second cables, a robotic gripping arm, and at least two pairs of stiffeners coupled to the cables to define folding points and corresponding segments that enable robotic folding and unfolding of the wiring harness. In other examples, a wiring harness is coupled to a plurality of electrical connectors carried by a carrier plate of an electrical control unit connection system (ECU), which is installed by robotically mating the plurality of electrical connectors carried by the carrier plate.