Wire Harness Manufacturing with Multiplex Control Boxes
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the number of electric components on vehicles increases, wire harnesses become more complex, leading to increased weight, size, manufacturing complexity, cost, and time due to the need for numerous electric wires and components, making existing manufacturing methods inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness manufacturing method that uses a framework of trunk and branch harnesses with dispersed control boxes to simplify the structure by concentrating power and signal transmission through multiplex communication, eliminating the need for junction boxes and allowing for plug-and-play functionality by storing information in control boxes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of electric components and wire harness complexity increases to meet growing vehicle electrical demands, then the functionality and control capability improve, but the weight, size, and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control functions (power distribution, signal processing, communication) into integrated control units that consolidate multiple junction boxes and control modules into single standardized components, reducing overall wire harness weight while maintaining full control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs universal control units with standardized interfaces that can perform multiple functions (power distribution, data communication, sensor processing, actuator control) depending on configuration, allowing single components to replace multiple specialized components and reduce overall system weight
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of electric wires and components increases to connect more electric components, then the functionality improves, but the wire harness size and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple wire bundles and communication lines into integrated control units that handle multiple functions through standardized connectors, reducing the overall volume occupied by wire harnesses while maintaining full functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional point-to-point wiring to a modular architecture where control units are strategically positioned in three-dimensional space within the vehicle, allowing optimized routing and reduced wire harness volume through spatial reconfiguration
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of wire harness types increases to accommodate different vehicle types and optional components, then the adaptability improves, but the manufacturing complexity and process variety increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal control units with standardized interfaces and modular configurations that can be adapted to different vehicle types and optional equipment through software configuration rather than physical reconfiguration, significantly reducing the number of different wire harness types needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-configures control units with standardized interfaces and modular components during manufacturing, allowing later adaptation to different vehicle applications through simple connection and software configuration rather than complex assembly variations
4Adaptability or versatility
If the wire harness structure becomes more complex to meet increasing electrical demands, then the functionality improves, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing processes (assembly, testing, configuration) into integrated control units that can be pre-assembled and pre-tested, reducing overall manufacturing time and improving productivity while maintaining full electrical functionality
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for manufacturing a wire harness (1) includes: disposing a trunk harness (20), a branch harness (30) and control boxes (10) on a workbench (41) and attaching the trunk harness and the branch harness to the control boxes; connecting the control boxes to an external device (60) via the branch harness; and switching operation mode of at least one of the control boxes to an information writing mode for inputting information for operating the electric component to be connected to the branch harness into the at least one of the control boxes and then inputting the information from the external device into the at least one of the control boxes via the branch harness.