Overlapped Flexible PCB Wire Harness for High-Pole Connector Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wire harnesses face challenges in handling ease when multiple flat cables are connected to a single connector, particularly in increasing the number of poles, which complicates the assembly and connection process.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness design featuring a connector with multiple terminals arranged in rows, flexible printed wiring boards with through-holes for terminal insertion, and a holding member that overlaps and extends the boards for easier handling, facilitated by a cover that retains and protects the joint between the boards and terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple flat cables are connected to a single connector to increase the number of poles, then the connector capacity is improved, but the ease of handling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into multiple terminal groups (first terminal group and second terminal group), each connected to separate flexible printed wiring boards. This segmentation allows each board to be handled independently during assembly, improving ease of operation while maintaining high pole count capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed wiring boards are arranged in multiple layers (overlapped configuration) rather than a single plane. This three-dimensional arrangement allows multiple cables to be managed in stacked layers, improving handleability by reducing the spread area while maintaining high pole count.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple flat cables are connected to a single connector, then the connector capacity is improved, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector assembly is segmented into modular components: housing, multiple terminal groups, and separate flexible printed wiring boards. This modularity simplifies assembly by allowing each component to be prepared and installed independently, reducing overall assembly complexity despite high pole count.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple terminal groups are integrated into a single housing structure, and multiple flexible printed wiring boards are overlapped and retained together by a single holding member. This merging reduces the number of separate assembly operations needed, simplifying the overall assembly process.
3Ease of operation
If flexible printed wiring boards are overlapped and extended, then the ease of handling is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible printed wiring boards are arranged in an overlapped, multi-layer configuration rather than a single-plane layout. This three-dimensional arrangement improves handleability by bundling cables together while maintaining electrical independence, and the complexity is managed through standardized layering patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
A holding member is introduced as an intermediary component to retain and organize the overlapped flexible printed wiring boards. This single holding structure manages the complexity of multiple overlapped boards by providing a unified retention mechanism, simplifying both assembly and maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire harness includes a connector, a first flexible printed wiring board, a second flexible printed wiring board, and a holding member, the connector has a plurality of terminals and housings that retain the terminals, the terminals includes a first terminal group and a second terminal group, the first flexible printed wiring board includes a through-hole into which an insertion portion of the first terminal group is inserted, the second flexible printed wiring board includes a through-hole into which an insertion portion of the second terminal group is inserted, the holding member is attached to the housing and configured to retain the first flexible printed wiring board and the second flexible printed wiring board, and the holding member has an exit portion and causes the first flexible printed wiring board and the second flexible printed wiring board, overlapped with each other, to extend from the exit portion.