Wire Tray With Integral Cradle Retention For Harness Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire harness support systems face issues with loose parts, wire damage, and slippage during shipping, handling, and assembly, as well as exposure of wires to moving transmission parts, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A wire tray design featuring tray walls with cradle channels and retention caps that securely route and position wires, minimizing exposure and preventing slippage by forming bends in the wires and using retention caps to capture them, thereby reducing the risk of loose parts and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate wire retention clips are used in the tray, then the wires can be retained, but the clips can be pulled out causing loose parts and potential damage to transmission components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the retention function directly into the tray structure by forming retention pockets as integral features of the tray walls, eliminating separate retention clips. This merging of functions ensures wires are retained reliably while preventing loose parts from causing damage to transmission components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the retention function from separate clips and incorporates it directly into the tray structure through molded retention pockets. This extraction eliminates the need for separate retention components that could become loose, while maintaining effective wire retention through the integrated pocket design.
2Ease of operation
If long lengths of wires exit the tray for termination, then the wires can be routed to solenoid connectors, but the exposed wires are susceptible to damage from moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses wire cradles that extend perpendicular to the tray base, creating a three-dimensional routing path. This dimensional change allows wires to be routed to connectors while remaining protected within the cradle structure, minimizing exposure to moving parts while maintaining routing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire cradles act as intermediary structures between the tray and the external environment. These cradles provide a protected pathway for wires to reach solenoid connectors while shielding them from damage by moving transmission parts, thus mediating between routing requirements and protection needs.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tray slides on the wire bundle during shipping and handling, then the tray can be assembled, but the wires may be easily removed and damage could occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates retention pockets and wire cradles as pre-formed integral features of the tray structure during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures wires are securely positioned before assembly begins, preventing slippage during shipping and handling while maintaining ease of assembly through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the wire positioning and retention functions into the tray structure itself through integrated pockets and cradles. This combination ensures wires maintain stable positions during shipping and handling while the unified structure allows for straightforward assembly without separate retention components.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire tray includes tray walls defining a tray channel configured to receive corresponding wires of a wire bundle. A wire cradle extends from a corresponding tray wall. The wire cradle has a cradle channel open to the tray channel having a wire exit at a front of the wire cradle. The wire cradle has a pocket and a protrusion aligned with the pocket on an opposite side of the cradle channel. The wire is routed in the cradle channel around the protrusion into the pocket to form at least two bends in the wire between the tray channel and the wire exit. The wire cradle includes a retention cap extending into the cradle channel that captures the wire in the cradle channel.