Integrated Wire Harness Tether for Vehicle Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle wire harnesses lack structural reinforcement during crash events, which can lead to detachment of body panel closures from the vehicle body, compromising safety and structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating reinforcing tendons into vehicle wire harnesses, which combine with electrical wires to achieve a tensile strength at least 50% greater than the wires alone, acting as a tether during crashes and secured by anchors with a pull-out strength of at least 50 pounds to prevent detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional wire harnesses are used without reinforcing tendons, then the device complexity and cost are lower, but the tensile strength and structural integrity during crash events are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the wire harness with reinforcing tendons into a single integrated assembly. The tendons are positioned within the sheath alongside the electrical wires, merging the electrical function and structural reinforcement function into one component system, thereby increasing tensile strength without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The wire harness assembly serves dual functions: carrying electrical power and providing structural reinforcement during crash events. The same assembly that routes electricity now also acts as a tether to prevent closure detachment, eliminating the need for separate safety components
2Reliability
If reinforcing tendons are added to increase tensile strength, then the wire harness can act as a tether during crashes, but the weight of the wire harness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the combined tensile strength of electrical wires and reinforcing tendons should be at least 50 percent greater than the electrical wire tensile strength alone. This parameter threshold ensures adequate safety performance while providing guidance for optimizing the balance between strength and weight
3Reliability
If traditional plastic clips are used to attach the wire harness, then the ease of manufacture is higher, but the pull-out strength and anchoring reliability are insufficient to prevent detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs anchors made from materials with high pull-out strength (at least 50 pounds) to replace traditional plastic clips. These anchors provide superior anchoring reliability for securing the wire harness assembly to the vehicle body and closure, preventing detachment during crash events
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle wire harness assembly is provided that, in addition to carrying electricity to and from a vehicle closure, acts as a tether that provides structural reinforcement to the vehicle closure during a crash event. The vehicle wire harness assembly includes a wire harness having electrical wires and a sheath. The electrical wires have an electrical wire tensile strength. The wire harness includes one or more reinforcing tendons configured such that the electrical wires and the reinforcing tendon(s) have a combined tensile strength that is at least 50 percent greater than the electrical wire tensile strength. Anchors retain the wire harness to a vehicle body and a body panel closure. Each anchor has a pull-out strength of at least 50 pounds.