Wire Harness Packing Bent Joint Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in transporting and routing wire harnesses in electric or hybrid automobiles, as they are long and difficult to manage, often requiring compact folding during transport, which can lead to improper positioning of bendable sections, making it hard to regulate the desired path during vehicle assembly.

Innovation Solution

A wire harness design featuring a joint mechanism in the exterior member allows for compact packing by forming a packing bent portion at a suitable position, enabling the harness to be bent during packing and regulating the routing path when needed, using a combination of flexible and straight pipe portions with a joint mechanism that can be folded for compact storage and unfolded for precise routing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the wire harness is folded for compact packing, then it becomes easy to transport, but the bent portion cannot be positioned at the suitable location for routing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacking volumeVSAvoidrouting operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The wire harness is segmented into a first wire harness and a second wire harness that can be independently folded and positioned. The first wire harness includes a first bent portion for packing, while the second wire harness includes a second bent portion that serves as the routing bent portion. This segmentation allows the routing-critical bent portion to be preserved in its proper location while other portions are folded for compact storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the wire harness is kept in a straight state, then the routing path can be regulated properly, but it occupies large space during transportation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting operationVSAvoidtransportation volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The wire harness is divided into multiple segments with different functional requirements. The second wire harness containing the routing bent portion is kept in a controlled state to maintain proper routing geometry, while the first wire harness is folded into a compact configuration for space-efficient transportation. This selective segmentation resolves the conflict between maintaining routing integrity and achieving compact storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If the wire harness is folded at any convenient position, then packing is simplified, but the desired routing path cannot be regulated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacking processVSAvoidrouting path precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wire harness is segmented into folding portions and non-folding portions based on routing requirements. The first bent portion is specifically designated for folding during packing, while the second bent portion is protected from folding to serve as the precise routing bent portion. This pre-defined segmentation enables simple packing operations while guaranteeing routing path precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the wire harness are assigned different structural qualities - the first wire harness portion is designed to be flexible and foldable for packing, while the second wire harness portion maintains its geometric integrity for precise routing. This local differentiation of properties allows each portion to fulfill its specific function optimally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3674145B1Wire harness
Publication Date: 2022.03.30 YAZAKI CORP
  • EP3674145B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3674145B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3674145B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A wire harness includes a harness main body including one or a plurality of conductive paths and an exterior member through which the one or a plurality of conductive paths is inserted, a packing bent portion arranged in a middle of the harness main body and used as a bent portion at a position suitable for packing the wire harness, and a routing path regulating portion arranged at the position suitable for packing the wire harness and configured to regulate the wire harness at a desired path when routing the wire harness.