Automated Wire Harness Continuity Inspection via Region-Based Wiring Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

The current process of validating wire harness continuity is labor-intensive for designers, requiring manual tracking and inspection of electrical wire connections between starting and terminating points, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

A wire harness continuity inspection device and method utilizing an electronic computer to inspect electrical wire connections in region-based connector/wiring information, allowing for precise identification of connection errors and reducing the time required for validation by specifying the connection of electrical wires and outputting determination history.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual tracking and inspection of electrical wire connections is performed by designers, then connection validity can be verified, but the process becomes labor-intensive and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection validation accuracyVSAvoidinspection time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical inspection process with an automated computer-based system that electronically retrieves wiring information and automatically validates connections, eliminating the need for designers to manually track wires through diagrams

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and processes electronic copies of wiring information from design drawings and service manuals, allowing automated validation without requiring physical manual inspection of original diagrams

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If manual wire harness validation is performed, then connection errors can be detected, but the complexity of the inspection process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror detection capabilityVSAvoidinspection process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-validation by automatically retrieving its own wiring information data and checking connections without requiring external manual intervention, thereby simplifying the overall process while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If designers manually inspect wire connections, then validation can be performed, but the burden on designers increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalidation completenessVSAvoiddesigner workload
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes the designer's manual inspection labor with an automated computer system that performs all validation tasks electronically, significantly reducing the designer's workload while maintaining complete validation coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP2535827B1Wire harness continuity inspection device, wire harness continuity inspection program and wire harness continuity inspection method
Publication Date: 2020.09.23 YAZAKI CORP
  • EP2535827B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(f)
  • EP2535827B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2535827B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is to inspect the presence of errors in connections of electrical wires described in region-based connector/wiring information using an electronic computer. The wire harness continuity inspection method according to the invention includes: a regarding step of referring to region-based connector/wiring information to specify a first certain electrical wire and a second certain electrical wire of which one end is connected to the other end of the first certain electrical wire which are described in the first region-based connector/wiring information, and regarding the first certain electrical wire and the second certain electrical wire as a single electrical wire; a referring step of referring to auxiliary device-based wiring information to obtain a first terminal of a first electrical component and a second terminal of a second electrical component connected by a circuit line, which are described in the auxiliary device-based wiring information; a first specifying step of referring to the region-based connector/wiring information to specify a first electrical wire of which one end is connected to the first terminal of the first electrical component, described in the region-based connector/wiring information; and a first determining step of determining whether the terminal connected to the other end of the first electrical wire is identical to the second terminal of the second electrical component.