Wire Harness Guide With Contoured Surface And Enclosed Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wires during manufacturing, transportation, and installation are prone to damage, misalignment, and creep, often deviating from specified bend radii, leading to costly and time-consuming repositioning and repairs, especially in tight spaces.
Innovation Solution
A guide with a contoured surface having a non-linear central axis and circumferentially enclosed openings is used to maintain desired wire bends, resist lateral displacement, and secure wires, allowing for efficient routing and installation according to design specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wires are routed without a guide structure, then installation is simpler and faster, but wires deviate from specified bend radii and suffer from misalignment and creep
Solution Approach 1:
A guide structure acts as an intermediary component between the wire and the installation environment. The guide provides a contoured surface that physically directs the wire along the desired path, ensuring conformity to specified bend radii while preventing misalignment and creep during installation and operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide structure is pre-configured with the exact contour and bend radius requirements before wire installation. By establishing the correct geometric path in advance, the guide ensures that wires are routed precisely according to specifications from the outset, eliminating the need for post-installation adjustments.
2Reliability
If wires are manually repositioned to correct misalignment and creep, then wire fitment improves, but installation time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure provides self-aligning features that automatically maintain wire position without requiring manual intervention. The contoured surface and engagement mechanisms work passively to prevent creep and misalignment, allowing the wire installation system to self-correct and maintain alignment stability throughout the installation process and during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment features and engagement mechanisms are built into the guide structure before installation. These pre-configured elements automatically guide the wire into the correct position and maintain it there, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual repositioning and ensuring reliable alignment from the start.
3Ease of operation
If wires are installed in tight spaces without guidance, then installation flexibility is higher, but wire damage and improper fitment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is divided into multiple segments or sections, each designed to handle specific portions of the wire route. This segmentation allows the guide to navigate tight spaces and complex geometries while providing continuous protection and guidance, reducing wire damage risk without compromising installation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide incorporates flexible components or thin-walled structures that can bend and conform to tight spaces while still providing adequate support and guidance for the wire. This flexibility allows easy installation in constrained environments while the guide's structural integrity prevents wire damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A guide 100 for a wire harness 610 is disclosed. The guide 100 comprises a first surface 120; a second surface 130, at least a second portion 132 of which is parallel to at least a first portion of the first surface 120; a contoured surface 140 between the first surface 120 and the second surface 130; and a plurality of through, circumferentially enclosed openings 170 extending from the first surface 120 to the second surface 130. The contoured surface 140 has a non-linear central axis 141 parallel to at least the first portion 122 of the first surface 120 and to at least the second portion 132 of the second surface 130. Further, the contoured surface 140 has a concave cross-section 142.


