Wire Harness Protector with Selective Connector Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of vehicle electrical systems due to advanced technologies like automatic driving and external environment detection leads to a proliferation of sub-harnesses with varying lengths, causing issues with connectivity and potential wire contact problems, necessitating a solution to absorb extra length without increasing harness types.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness design featuring a wire bundle with a branch portion and a protector that accommodates branch lines and a relay line with connectors, allowing the extra length to be absorbed by selecting appropriate connector holding portions within the protector, thereby maintaining performance without increasing harness types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sub-harnesses of various lengths are individually prepared to match different mounting positions, then connectivity to electrical components is ensured, but the number of sub-harness types increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-harness is divided into a main body portion and a detachable extra length portion. The main body portion contains the essential wiring and connector, while the extra length portion can be selectively attached or detached based on mounting position requirements. This segmentation allows a single sub-harness type to serve multiple length requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-harness design incorporates a dynamic length adjustment mechanism where the extra length portion can be selectively engaged or disengaged. This allows the effective length of the sub-harness to change based on the specific mounting position, enabling one sub-harness type to adapt to multiple installation scenarios without requiring multiple fixed-length variants.
2Device complexity
If a fixed-length sub-harness is used for all mounting positions, then the number of sub-harness types is reduced, but the extra length may contact peripheral members causing abnormal noise
Solution Approach 1:
The potentially harmful extra length is extracted as a separate detachable portion from the main sub-harness body. This extracted portion can be removed or detached when it would otherwise contact peripheral members and cause abnormal noise, while the main body portion remains optimized for the standard mounting position.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-harness is designed with different portions having different functional qualities: the main body portion is optimized for reliable electrical connection, while the extra length portion is designed to be detachable or routeable away from peripheral members. This local differentiation allows the harness to avoid noise issues at specific locations while maintaining overall functionality.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sub-harness length is excessively short, then manufacturing and inventory management is simplified, but it is not possible to connect the sub-harness to the electrical component
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-harness is segmented into an essential main body portion that can be manufactured to a standard length, and an optional extra length portion that can be added as needed. This allows the core manufacturing process to remain simple and standardized while providing the flexibility to extend length when required for specific applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire harness includes: a wire bundle that bundles electric wires, the wire bundle including a branch portion; and a protector attached to the wire bundle so as to accommodate the branch portion of the wire bundle. The wire bundle includes: branch lines extending from the branch portion in routing directions; and a relay line drawn out from the branch portion, the relay line being provided with a connector at a tip end. The protector includes: accommodating portions that accommodate the branch lines, respectively; and connector holding portions provided in at least two of the accommodating portions, respectively, the connector holding portions being provided within a range where the relay line reaches from the branch portion. The relay line is accommodated in the protector in a state in which the connector is selectively held in one of the connector holding portions.