Wire Harness Reference Marks for Fixing Member Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wire harnesses face orientation deviations when fixing members are attached, leading to potential twisting or misalignment during mounting to a target such as a vehicle.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating distinctive first and second reference marks on the wiring member to guide the attachment orientation of fixing members, ensuring accurate alignment and orientation through visible markings on the circumferential and longitudinal directions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If fixing members are attached to wire harnesses without reference marks, then the attachment process is simple and quick, but the orientation of the fixing member may deviate, causing the wire harness to assume incorrect posture during mounting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattachment process simplicityVSAvoidfixing member orientation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Reference marks are provided on the wiring member before the attachment process to indicate the correct orientation. This preliminary marking allows the fixing member to be attached in the correct orientation without requiring complex alignment procedures during assembly, thus maintaining simplicity while improving precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Reference marks serve as an intermediary element between the wiring member and the fixing member. These marks provide visual guidance that mediates the attachment process, enabling operators to quickly and accurately align the fixing member with the correct orientation without requiring complex fixtures or alignment tools.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple fixing members are attached to the wire harness, then the wire harness can be securely fixed, but it becomes difficult to manage and ensure correct orientation of each fixing member

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixing securityVSAvoidmultiple fixing members management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each fixing member is associated with its own reference mark on the wiring member. This segmentation of orientation guidance allows each fixing member to be independently aligned and attached in the correct orientation, simplifying the management of multiple fixing members while ensuring secure and accurate attachment of each one.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11600406B2Wire harness with a reference mark for an attachment orientation

Publication Date: 2023.03.07 SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD

AI summary

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that can prevent, in a wire harness including a fixing member, the fixing member from being attached in a deviated orientation. A wire harness includes: a wiring member; a fixing member provided on the wiring member; and a first reference mark and a second reference mark that are each provided at a position of the wiring member that corresponds to the fixing member. The first reference mark and the second reference mark each have a distinctive external appearance in a circumferential direction of the wiring member. The first reference mark indicates a reference position of the wiring member in the circumferential direction, and the second reference mark indicates a position of the wiring member in the circumferential direction, the position serving as a reference for an attachment orientation of the fixing member.