IE912988A1

IE912988A1 - Cable harness

Info

Publication number: IE912988A1
Application number: IE298891A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Rheydt Kabelwerk Ag
Priority date: 1990-08-24
Filing date: 1991-08-23
Publication date: 1992-02-26
Also published as: MX9100790A; DE4026718A1; WO1992003832A1; PT98763A; DE4026718C3; DE4026718C2; TNSN91076A1

Abstract

A cable tree comprises leads grouped into bundles and elements which fit the cable tree to a predetermined three-dimensional shape. A shaping, reinforcing element is arranged in each bundle of leads.

Description

The invention concerns a cable harness having leads which are brought together into bundles of conductors and members which adapt the cable harness to a predetermined three dimensional shape. For the purposes of wiring or cabling components in a housing, which may also be a vehicular housing, the leads required for the connection are formed as one or more cable harnesses. It is customary, especially when assembling cars, to manufacture the electrical connections in the form of a pre-prepared cable harness. The cable harness is then inserted into or is connected to the bodywork, the connections being situated at the appropriate assembly positions. A cable harness is known from German Utility Model No. 8807890 which is insertable in the bodywork of a motor vehicle and whose individual branches are secured to channel-shaped rails provided for the cable runs. To this end, the individual branches of the cable harness are secured in the rails for the cable runs by means of positive or non-positive anchoring means.

Although this embodiment is widely known, it has however considerable shortcomings. On the one hand, there are difficulties in assembly, as the cable harness and its branches must each be inserted into the cable run rails. To this end, they have to be bent by hand into the three dimensional shape. An object of the invention is to provide a cable harness which enables an easy to assemble adaptation to a given three dimensional form. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a shape-defining reinforcing member being located in every bundle of conductors. Further developments of the invention are contained in the subsidiary claims.

The invention is preferably used for assembling cable harnesses in complex three dimensional housings. One such example is the bodywork of a motor vehicle. The advantages in comparison with the state of the art consist not only in simpler assembly, as the cable harness is practically automatically introduced into the three dimensional shape defined by the assembly housing, but also in a saving of fasteners which need to be used at considerably fewer locations.

In order to manufacture a cable harness in accordance with the invention, various procedures may be applied. On the one hand, a preformed reinforcing member can be bound into the cable harness in the manner of a normal lead, whereupon the cable harness adopts the desired shape. On the other hand, a mould or a shape-defining reinforcing member may initially be connected to the cable harness, and the cable harness may subsequently be placed in a mould, and the whole structure given its final shape at a raised temperature. When being packed for transportation, this shape is obviously altered by the cable harness being rolled up, initially in a resilient manner, and being adapted to the external packaging. At the place of assembly however, the original shape is again available, so that the characteristics desired for assembly are present. These desired characteristics consist in the insertion of the cable harness being greatly facilitated by the formed body matching the final shape.

An embodiment of the invention is now described in more detail having regard to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a cable harness, and - 3 IE 912988 Figure 2 shows a further embodiment with an external shape-defining reinforcing member.

A preferred embodiment consists of a plastics cylindrical reinforcing member being heated up in a press and being brought into a predetermined preformed shape. These elements are subsequently processed together with the leads into bundles of leads and then into a cable harness. By wrapping a strip around the bundle of leads, the leads are forced to take up the same geometrical shape as the shape-defining reinforcing member.

In Figure 1, a cable harness 1 thus produced, having wires 3 and the reinforcing member 4, is partially depicted. Two reinforcing members 4 are present at every branching point and then continue in their respective branches. The bundles of wires 2 are bound together with the reinforcing member by means of a wrapping strip 5. The bundles of wires end in a plug 7 for instance or in individual plug members. The reinforcing member 4 preferably consists of polyamide. If weight is to be saved, this reinforcing member 4 may also consist of carbon fibre or a liquid crystal polymer. In cross-section, the reinforcing member 4 may be a hollow body or a section.

Another embodiment of the invention is depicted in Figure 2. The reinforcing member 6 is located outside the bundle of leads and holds this together, so that a wrapping strip is unnecessary.

The reinforcing member 6 has a substantially box-shaped cross-section, which can be closed, at least partially, by retaining members 8. At least one new channel joins at the branching points of the cable harness. Openings are provided in these channels which serve for securing the section onto the body of the motor vehicle or to the distribution cabinet.

Aboard ship, these channels can also be formed to be flame resistant, which is also to be recommended for aeroplanes due to safety requirements. - 4 IE 912988 For transportation purposes, the cable harnesses are bound together into the flattest possible rings. The elasticity of the reinforcing members must however remain maintained.

Claims

1. A cable harness having leads which are brought together into bundles of conductors, and members which adapt the cable harness to a predetermined three dimensional shape, wherein a shape-defining reinforcing member is located in every bundle of conductors.

2. A cable harness according to Claim 1, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member extends parallel to the leads and is bound together with these into a bundle of conductors by a strip being wrapped around them.

3. A cable harness according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member already possesses, at the time of production of the cable harness, the three dimensional shape to be provided at final assembly.

4. A cable harness according to Claim 1, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member consists substantially of polyamide

5. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing element consists substantially of carbon fibre.

6. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member consists substantially of a liquid crystal polymer (LCP).

7. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member is a section member.

8. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member is a hollow body.

9. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member is a solid body with a rounded shape. -6 IE 912988

10. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 or 3 to 9, wherein the shape-defining reinforcing member surrounds the bundle of conductors.

11. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 or 3 to 10, wherein every bundle of conductors is insertable in a reinforcing member.

12. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 to 11, wherein the moulding of the shape-defining reinforcing member occurs at a raised temperature.

13. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 or 3 to 12, wherein the longitudinally extending opening in the reinforcing member is at least partially closable, after insertion of the wires, by means of retaining members.

14. A cable harness according to any of Claims 1 or 3 to 13, wherein the shape-defining member is a channel which is interrupted at the branching point.

15. A cable harness substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.