Vehicle Optical Fiber Cable Routing Along Electrical Harness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Leaning and straddled vehicles face challenges in protecting optical fiber cables from damage and contact with components due to their small size and lack of self-supporting mechanisms, which can lead to size increases when trying to prevent contact with obstacles or the ground during turns and falls.
Innovation Solution
The optical fiber cable is routed along the trunk portion of an electrical cable bundle within an in-body covered region, supported by the electrical cable, allowing it to maintain a stable path and preventing deformation, thereby avoiding contact with components and maintaining a compact vehicle design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the optical fiber cable is arranged inside the vehicle body to avoid contact with obstacles and ground, then protection of the optical fiber cable is improved, but the vehicle size increases due to need for additional protection space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the optical fiber cable routing with the existing electrical cable bundle path. The optical fiber cable is routed along the trunk portion of the electrical cable bundle, utilizing the same protective channel and space already allocated for electrical cables. This merging approach provides protection for the optical fiber cable without requiring additional protection structures or increasing vehicle size.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical cable bundle's trunk portion serves multiple functions: it protects and routes both electrical cables and the optical fiber cable. By making the electrical cable bundle's routing path multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate protection structures for the optical fiber cable, thereby avoiding vehicle size increase while improving cable protection.
2Volume of moving object
If the optical fiber cable is disposed in a narrow space between components, then vehicle size is suppressed, but the optical fiber cable may contact components due to vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber cable is merged with the electrical cable bundle routing, where both cables travel together through the same narrow space between components. This combined routing approach maintains compact vehicle size while the electrical cable bundle provides a stable, vibration-resistant pathway that protects the optical fiber cable from contacting other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical cable bundle acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the optical fiber cable and surrounding components. By routing the optical fiber cable along the electrical cable bundle's trunk portion, the electrical cables serve as a protective intermediary that prevents direct contact between the optical fiber cable and other vehicle components, reducing vibration-induced contact risks.
3Reliability
If additional parts are provided to protect the optical fiber cable, then cable protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the protection function into the existing electrical cable bundle structure. Instead of adding separate protection parts for the optical fiber cable, the design utilizes the electrical cable bundle's existing protective features (such as the trunk portion and surrounding routing structure) to protect both cable types simultaneously, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical cable bundle's routing structure is designed to serve multiple protection functions: it protects electrical cables from damage and simultaneously protects the optical fiber cable routed along its trunk portion. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for additional protection parts, maintaining simple vehicle structure while improving optical fiber cable protection.
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
This configuration effectively protects the optical fiber cable from damage and deformation while preventing size increases, enhancing the vehicle's maneuverability and agility by allowing a wider range of routing options and maintaining the optical fiber cable's integrity.
Implementation Method 1
an optical fiber cable configured to guide the laser beam from the light source unit to the one or more light using devices
Data Source
AI summary
A leaning vehicle or a straddled vehicle, including a vehicle body, a light source unit, a light using device, an optical fiber cable, an electrical power supply unit, a plurality of electrical units, and an electrical cable. The vehicle body includes a seat and a body cover. The optical fiber cable has a supported portion disposed along, and supported by, a trunk portion of the electrical cable, and an upstream portion connecting the light source unit and the supported portion without being supported by the trunk portion. The supported portion and the upstream portion are partially disposed within an in-body covered region, which is at least one of a region closer to a vehicle center than an outermost surface of the body cover is, or a region positioned further in a downward direction than an uppermost portion of the seat is, both being invisible from an outside of the vehicle.