Wire Harness Protector With Elastic Retention and Easy Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clamps for attaching tubular members to vehicles require excessive force due to manufacturing variations, leading to tedious work in locking the lid, and the clamp main body and lid structure complicates easy attachment of wire harnesses.
Innovation Solution
A protector and wire harness design featuring a housing portion with a support wall and elastically deformable retaining sections that securely accommodate the wire member, allowing easy attachment without the need for jigs, and includes features like taper sections and multiple retaining pairs to enhance retention and fluid discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a two-part clamp structure with lid and clamp main body is used, then the tubular member can be retained by sandwiching, but manufacturing variations cause excessive contact force requiring tedious locking work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the clamp main body and lid into a single integrated clamp structure. This eliminates the interface between separate parts that causes manufacturing variation accumulation, thereby reducing excessive contact force while maintaining reliable retention of the tubular member through the single clamp's elastic deformation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the lid component from the clamp structure, eliminating the need for separate locking operations. The single clamp structure achieves retention through its inherent elastic deformation, removing the tedious locking step associated with attaching a separate lid.
2Reliability
If a two-part clamp structure is used, then retention is achieved, but the structure complicates easy attachment of wire harnesses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the clamp main body and lid into one integrated component, simplifying the overall structure. This merged clamp structure maintains the retention function while reducing device complexity, making wire harness attachment easier by eliminating the need to assemble and coordinate multiple separate parts.
3Reliability
If excessive force is applied to lock the lid, then the tubular member is securely retained, but the attachment process becomes tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The single clamp structure serves itself by utilizing its own elastic deformation capability to achieve retention without requiring external locking operations. The clamp deforms elastically during installation and maintains retention automatically, eliminating the need for additional locking steps and improving attachment productivity.
4Ease of operation
If a single clamp structure is used instead of two-part structure, then manufacturing variations are reduced and locking work is simplified, but the elastic deformation capability must be sufficient to retain the tubular member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the structural parameters of the single clamp to ensure sufficient elastic deformation capability. By adjusting the clamp's geometry, material properties, and cross-sectional characteristics, the single structure achieves the necessary strength and flexibility to retain the tubular member effectively without requiring a two-part design.
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
Facilitates easy and secure attachment of wire members to the housing portion, preventing slippage and fluid accumulation, while maintaining effective retention and protection from foreign matter, thus simplifying the attachment process and enhancing durability.
Implementation Method 1
a retaining section that is formed elastically deformable so as to retain the wire member
Data Source
AI summary
A protector that is configured to be fixed to an attachment target, integrally with a wire, the protector including: a housing that is configured to accommodate the wire and includes an opening into which the wire is fit, wherein: the housing includes: (i) a support wall that is configured to support the wire that is accommodated in the housing, and (ii) a retaining section that is elastically deformable so as to retain the wire; the protector further includes a leg that is a plate protrusion protruding from the housing and extending in a longitudinal direction of the housing; and the support wall and the retaining section are configured to sandwich the wire therebetween so as to retain the wire.