Variable Thickness Resin Wire Harness for Hybrid Vehicles

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wire harnesses for high-tension devices in hybrid and electric cars lack flexibility and strength, as well as efficient resin molding processes, which restrict their performance and productivity.

Innovation Solution

A wire harness with a tubular exterior member made of resin, featuring flexible and non-flexible tube portions with varying thicknesses, allowing for increased strength, reduced resin usage, and improved molding efficiency through variable mold block speed and resin supply control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the exterior member is made with uniform thickness, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the strength and flexibility cannot be optimized in different sections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of exterior memberVSAvoidcomplexity of exterior member structure

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The exterior member is designed with varying thickness along its length, where the first section has a first thickness and the second section has a second thickness different from the first. This allows each section to have optimized properties: thicker sections provide increased strength and rigidity where needed, while thinner sections reduce weight and material usage where less strength is required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the exterior member uses thicker resin, then the strength increases, but the resin usage and molding time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of exterior memberVSAvoidmolding speed of exterior member

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The exterior member is designed with varying thickness along its length, where the first section has a first thickness and the second section has a second thickness different from the first. This allows each section to have optimized properties: thicker sections provide increased strength and rigidity where needed, while thinner sections reduce weight and material usage where less strength is required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If the exterior member uses thicker resin, then the strength increases, but the resin material usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of exterior memberVSAvoidresin material usage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The exterior member is designed with varying thickness along its length, where the first section has a first thickness and the second section has a second thickness different from the first. This allows each section to have optimized properties: thicker sections provide increased strength and rigidity where needed, while thinner sections reduce weight and material usage where less strength is required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Productivity

If the exterior member has varying thickness, then the strength and resin usage are optimized, but the molding process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproductivity of exterior memberVSAvoidcomplexity of molding process

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The molding process controls the thickness of the exterior member by changing molding parameters during production. The system varies the thickness between the first section and second section by adjusting mold block moving speed or resin material supply rate, allowing precise control over the thickness distribution to achieve optimal strength and material usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 enhances the performance and productivity of the exterior member by providing increased strength, flexibility, and reduced resin usage, while enabling more efficient resin molding processes.

Implementation Method 1

variable control is performed on a moving speed of a mold block for molding the thick portion and the thin portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVariable speed control:

Implementation Method 2

variable control is performed on a supply rate of a resin material to a mold block for molding the thick portion and the thin portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVariable supply rate control:

Data Source

PatentUS10611320B2Wire harness and method for producing exterior member of wire harness

Publication Date: 2020.04.07 YAZAKI CORP

AI summary

A wire harness includes at least one conductive path, and an exterior member having a tubular shape and made of resin, the exterior member covering the conductive path. The exterior member includes a flexible tube portion with flexibility and a non-flexible tube portion with low flexibility lower than the flexibility of the flexible tube portion. At least one of the flexible tube portion and the non-flexible tube portion includes a thick portion and a thin portion which are arranged in a tube axis direction, the thick portion and the thin portion being different in thickness.