Wire Harness Ultrasonic Welding Thickness Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for attaching electrical wires to sheet-like exterior members in vehicle wire harnesses result in increased thickness, limiting the flexibility of wire harness placement in confined vehicle spaces.
Innovation Solution
A wire harness design where the insulating covering of the electrical wires is directly welded to a sheet material, with a thinner first covering part on the side of the electrical wire fixing part and a thicker second covering part on the opposite side, using ultrasonic welding and materials with varying plasticizer ratios to achieve reduced thickness and enhanced adhesion strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the insulating covering of the electrical wires is directly welded to the sheet material, then the adhesion strength is improved, but the thickness of the wire harness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating covering is designed with different thicknesses at different locations: a first covering part with smaller thickness at the welding location and a second covering part with larger thickness at other locations. This local quality variation allows the welding area to have reduced thickness while other areas maintain sufficient insulation, resolving the contradiction between adhesion strength and overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating covering is segmented into functionally distinct regions: a first covering part for welding contact with reduced thickness, and a second covering part for insulation with larger thickness. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its function independently, achieving both strong adhesion at the welding interface and adequate insulation elsewhere.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the thickness of the wire harness is reduced, then the freedom degree of locating the wire harness is improved, but the insulation properties may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating covering has non-uniform thickness distribution with a first covering part of smaller thickness at the welding location and a second covering part of larger thickness at other locations. This ensures that insulation is maintained where needed while reducing thickness at the welding interface, thereby preserving both adaptability and insulation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution addresses the thickness issue not by uniformly reducing all dimensions but by selectively reducing thickness in the radial direction at specific angular positions. This dimensional differentiation allows the wire harness to fit better in confined spaces while maintaining adequate insulation where required.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces the thickness of the wire harness while maintaining insulation properties and increasing adhesion strength, allowing for more flexible placement in limited spaces.
Implementation Method 1
a part of the main surface having contact with the electrical wire is welded to the insulating covering of the electrical wire, thereby forming an electrical wire fixing part
Data Source
AI summary
A wire harness includes: an electrical wire including a core wire and an insulating covering for covering the core wire; and a sheet material in which the electrical wire is disposed on a resin main surface, and a part of the main surface having contact with the electrical wire is welded to the insulating covering of the electrical wire, thereby forming an electrical wire fixing part. A thickness dimension of a first covering part in the insulating covering on a side of the electrical wire fixing part in relation to the core wire is formed smaller than a thickness dimension of a second covering part located on an opposite side of the core wire.