Split Pipe Wire Harness for Routing Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing wire harness designs require numerous molds for each vehicle, leading to increased tooling costs due to the need for custom protectors that accommodate different routing pathways in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness design featuring a tubular pipe split into multiple portions, including long and short split sections, which can be combined to define branching locations and allow for bending, enabling adaptation to various routing pathways without the need for multiple molds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If custom protectors are fabricated for each vehicle to accommodate different routing pathways, then the wire harness can be adapted to specific vehicle routing requirements, but the number of molds required increases, leading to increased tooling costs
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe is designed as a universal component that can be used across multiple vehicle models with different routing pathways. By making the pipe itself adaptable through bending rather than creating custom protectors for each vehicle, a single pipe design serves multiple functions and applications, reducing the need for numerous vehicle-specific molds and thereby reducing tooling costs
2Ease of manufacture
If a single molded protector is used for all vehicles, then tooling costs are reduced, but the wire harness cannot be adapted to various routing pathways
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe is designed to be dynamically adaptable through bending capabilities. Instead of a rigid fixed structure, the pipe can be bent into different configurations to match various routing pathways. This dynamic property allows a single pipe design to accommodate multiple routing scenarios without requiring custom molded protectors for each vehicle type
3Adaptability or versatility
If numerous molds are created for different vehicle models, then each vehicle's specific routing requirements are met, but manufacturing complexity and inventory management become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A single universal pipe design replaces the need for numerous vehicle-specific molds. The pipe's ability to be bent into different configurations allows it to serve multiple vehicle models with different routing requirements, thereby simplifying the mold inventory from many vehicle-specific molds to just one universal pipe mold
4Strength
If the pipe is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then protection for wires is improved, but the pipe cannot be bent to fit different routing pathways
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe's physical parameters are optimized to balance strength and bendability. By controlling the pipe's thickness, material properties, and dimensional parameters, the pipe achieves sufficient structural integrity to protect wires while maintaining the flexibility to be bent into different configurations for various routing pathways
Data Source
AI summary
A wire harness WH is provided with a pipe, through which wires are passed. The pipe has multiple split portions split in the longitudinal direction. The wires are branched in the longitudinal direction. The locations of branching of the wires are defined by locations corresponding to the split portions.