Slide Rail Wire Harness Drag Chain for Quick Fitting and Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with sliding seats, especially MPV/SUVs, long wire harnesses are prone to damage and uncontrolled exposure due to direct connection to the seat, leading to aesthetic issues and inconvenient fitting processes.
Innovation Solution
A quick fitting and protection mechanism for wire harnesses in slide rails, featuring a drag chain and guide support system that allows the wire harness to be threaded through, enabling controlled direction and simple installation by sliding the upper rail relative to the lower rail, with rotatable connections and elastic fixing components for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the wire harness is directly connected to the seat, then the installation is simple, but the wire harness is exposed and easily damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a drag chain as an intermediary component between the wire harness and the seat. The drag chain protects the wire harness from damage while allowing it to move with the seat, resolving the contradiction between simple installation and wire harness protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire harness is nested within the drag chain structure, which provides protection while maintaining flexibility. The drag chain contains the wire harness, preventing exposure and damage while allowing movement during seat adjustment.
2Reliability
If the wire harness is connected to the upper slide rail before mounting, then the wire harness is protected, but the fitting time is long and arrangement is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The wire harness is pre-installed into the drag chain structure before the upper slide rail is mounted onto the lower slide rail. This preliminary action allows the wire harness to be protected during the assembly process without requiring additional time for separate installation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the wire harness installation with the slide rail assembly process. The wire harness, drag chain, and slide rails are assembled together in a coordinated manner, eliminating separate installation steps and reducing overall fitting time.
3Productivity
If the wire harness is threaded through the drag chain and connected to the upper slide rail, then the wire harness direction is controllable and fitting is quick, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The drag chain serves multiple functions: it protects the wire harness, allows controlled movement with the seat, and provides a structured path for the wire harness. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, thereby limiting the increase in structural complexity while achieving quick fitting and directional control.
Data Source
AI summary
A quick fitting and protection mechanism for a wire harness in a slide rail has a drag chain for the wire harness to be threaded through; a drag chain towing support connected to an upper slide rail and slidable in a slideway of a lower slide rail with the upper slide rail, where the drag chain towing support has a drag chain port, a wire harness outlet, and a first channel affording communication between the drag chain port and the wire harness outlet, where one end of the drag chain is connected to the drag chain port; a wire harness guide support having a wire harness entry, a wire harness exit, and a second channel affording communication between the wire harness entry and the wire harness exit, where the wire harness entry is in rotatable communication with the wire harness exit.