Wire Harness Protector Structure for Exterior Member Slack Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire harnesses face challenges in assembling each member appropriately due to excess portions like wrinkles or slack in the exterior member, which can lead to variations in assembling positions and hinder stable operation.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness design that includes a flexible electric wire, a flexible exterior member, and a holding member with a main body, lid portion, and protrusions that lock the exterior member. The holding member has a routing space and varying height positions of protrusions to absorb excess portions, ensuring proper assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the exterior member is formed with a larger diameter than the electric wire, then the electric wire can be properly inserted and protected, but excess portions such as wrinkles or slack occur in the circumferential direction of the exterior member
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member incorporates multiple protrusions at different height positions to create localized locking points. These protrusions are strategically positioned to engage with the exterior member at specific locations, providing localized constraint that prevents wrinkle formation and slack accumulation while maintaining the overall flexibility and protective function of the exterior member.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the height position parameter of the protrusions relative to the axial direction of the holding member. By varying the height positions of different protrusions, the structure creates differential engagement points that accommodate the excess material in the exterior member, transforming the harmful wrinkles and slack into controlled positioning features that ensure reliable assembly.
2Ease of operation
If the exterior member has excess portions like wrinkles or slack, then the electric wire can be loosely accommodated, but variations in assembling positions occur and stable operation is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member is segmented into multiple protrusions distributed at different height positions along the axial direction. Each protrusion acts as an independent locking element that engages with the exterior member at a specific location. This segmentation allows the structure to accommodate loose accommodation needs while simultaneously providing multiple constraint points that eliminate position variations during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions serve as intermediary elements between the holding member and the exterior member. These intermediaries transfer and distribute the constraint forces at multiple height positions, mediating between the loose accommodation requirement and the precision positioning requirement. The protrusions convert the potentially harmful excess material into controlled engagement points that ensure consistent assembly positioning.
3Reliability
If protrusions are added to lock the exterior member, then assembly stability is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The multiple protrusions are integrally formed as a single unit within the holding member structure, merging multiple locking functions into one unified component. This integration approach provides reliable assembly stability through multiple engagement points while avoiding the complexity of assembling separate locking elements. The protrusions work together as a coordinated system, reducing the overall device complexity compared to using multiple discrete components.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire harness includes an electric wire, an exterior member, and a protector integrally holding an end portion of the exterior member and a portion of the electric wire led out from the end portion of the exterior member. The protector includes a protector main body having a routing space portion in which the electric wire and the exterior member are routed along an axial direction, a lid portion attached to the protector main body to close the routing space portion, and a plurality of first protrusions and second protrusions protruding from the lid portion toward the protector main body and locking the exterior member, and height positions of distal ends of the plurality of first protrusions and second protrusions varies according to a formation position.