Wiring harness designing method, computer program and system

• US 20030020715A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Imai, Masahiro, Nakamura, Tsutomu, Sakakura, Kouichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,842,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/424
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/28 for wire processing before connecting to contact members, not provided for in groups H01R43/02 - H01R43/26

Abstract

A wiring harness Cmp is divided into a plurality of subassemblies Sub1 to Sub3, and 3D shapes of these subassemblies Sub1 to Sub3 are combined and displayed in such a state arranged on a harness assembling table 216 on a specified display. Display positions of the respective subassemblies Sub1 to Sub3 can be arbitrarily moved, for example, in a direction of Z-axis. An assembling order or procedure of a plurality of subassemblies Sub1 to Sub3 can be easily visually simulated.

Claims

1. A wiring harness designing method, comprising:

a full-size design data generating step of dividing wires and other parts of a wiring harness (2;

Cmp) as a final product into a plurality of subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) based on full-size design information assuming an arrangement of the wiring harness (2;

Cmp) on a harness assembling table (216), generating full-size design data including subassembly information defining 3D shapes of the respective subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) and of the components (a11, a12, . . . ;

b11, b12, . . . ;

c11, c12, . . . ;

C1, C2, . . . ) thereof, and inputting the generated full-size design data in a computer system, and

a 3D shape displaying step of combining and displaying the 3D shapes of the plurality of subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) on a display (11) in such a state arranged on the harness assembling table (216) in a virtual 3D space of the computer system based on the subassembly information generated in the full-size design data generating step.

2. The wiring harness designing method of claim 1, wherein the 3D shapes of the respective subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are made arbitrarily movable in one specified direction on the harness assembling table (216).

3. The wiring harness designing method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating first display data wherein a plurality of wires bundled in each subassembly (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are displayed individually and all the wires (a11, a12, . . . ) and other parts (b11, b12, . . . ;

c11, c12, . . . ;

C1, C2, . . . ) of the same subassembly (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are displayed in the same display color in the 3D shape displaying step;

generating second display data wherein a plurality of wires (a11, a12, . . . ) bundled in each subassembly (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are displayed collectively as an aggregate of the wires in the 3D shape displaying step; and

selecting one of an individual display mode a plurality of wires (a11, a12, . . . ) bundled in each subassembly (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are displayed individually and all the wires (a11, a12, . . . ) and other parts (b11, b12, . . . ;

c11, c12 . . . ;

C1, C2, . . . ) of the same subassembly (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are displayed in the same display color, and a collective display mode a plurality of wires (a11, a12, . . . ) bundled in each subassembly (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) are displayed collectively as an aggregate of the wires (a11, a12, . . . ) are made selective using a specified selection menu in the 3D shape displaying step.

4. The wiring harness designing method of claim 2, wherein:

inputting on-the-board assembling procedure information defining a procedure of assembling the plurality of subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) on the harness assembling table (216) between the full-size design data generating step and the 3D shape displaying step.

5. The wiring harness designing method of claim 4, further comprising displaying an operation of assembling the plurality of subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) by moving images on an image of the harness assembling table (216) having a virtual 3D shape in accordance with the procedure defined by the on-the-board assembling information in the 3D shape displaying step.

6. The wiring harness designing method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying an operation of assembling the respective wires (a11, a12, . . . ) and the other parts (b11, b12, . . . ;

c11, c12, . . . ;

C1, C2, . . . ) by moving images in accordance with the procedures defined by the subassembly assembling information in the 3D shape displaying step.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program, which comprises computer-readable program means for causing a computer to control an execution of a wiring harness designing method according to claim 1.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon computer program code means, when said program is loaded, to make the computer execute a 3D virtual assembling method according to claim 1.

7. A wiring harness designing method for designing a wiring harness (3), by displaying a harness design data (A″

) which represents 3D design data of the wiring harness (3) in a virtual 3D space displayed on a display means (11), comprising the steps of;

preparing the harness design data (A″

),

preparing an accessory data (F) which is a 3D design data of one or more accessories (33) to be mounted on the wiring harness (3), and

causing a computer (16) to display the harness design data (A″

) and the accessory data (F) in the virtual 3D space displayed on the display means (11) in response to an instruction inputted to the computer (16) via an input means (14), and combining the accessory data (F) with the harness design data (A″

) by changing a positional relationship of at least these data in the virtual 3D space.

8. The wiring harness designing method of claim 7, wherein:

the accessory data (F) includes a covering part data (F1) which is a 3D data of at least one covering part (33) to be mounted on the wiring harness (3), and

in the step of attaching or combining the accessory data (F) with the harness design data (A″

), the computer (16) is caused, in response to an instruction is inputted thereto via the input means (14), to change a positional relationship between the harness design data (A″

) and the covering part data (F1) in the virtual 3D space and to change the shape of a wire path (FIG.

     71) of at least a section of the harness design data (A″

), thereby combining the covering part data (F1) with the harness design data (A″

).

9. The wiring harness designing method of claim 8, wherein:

the accessory data (F) includes an electrical connection means data (F2) which is 3D data of at least one electrical connection means to be connected with the wiring harness (3), and

in the step of combining the accessory data (F) with the harness design data (A″

), the computer (16) is caused, in response to an instruction inputted thereto via the input means (14), to change a positional relationship between the harness design data (A″

) and the electrical connection means data (F2) in the virtual 3D space and to change the shape of a wire path (FIG.

     76) of at least a section of the harness design data (A″

), thereby combining the electrical connection means data (F2) with the harness design data (A″

).

10. The wiring harness designing method of claim 9, wherein:

a plurality of harness design data (A″

) and accessory data (F) having different forms which are created during a process of combining the accessory data (F) to or with the harness design data (A″

) are stored in the computer in the step of attaching the accessory data (F) to the harness design data (A″

), and

the wiring harness designing method further comprises the step of causing the computer (16) to successively display the plurality of harness design data (A″

) and accessory data (F) stored in the computer (16) via the display means (11) in an order conforming to the attaching process.

11. The wiring harness designing method of the preceding claim 10, wherein, in the step of combining the accessory data (F) with the harness design data (A″

), the computer (16) is caused to detect an interference of the accessory data (F) with a structure data (E) registered beforehand as such that can be an obstacle to the attachment of the accessory data (F) in the virtual 3D data and to output a notification upon detecting such an interference.

12. The wiring harness designing method of claim 11, wherein:

a plurality of constraint points (C4) fixed at positions in the virtual 3D space are set in the harness design data (A″

) design data by inputting an instruction to the computer (16) via the input means (14), and

if a section of the harness design data (A″

) is moved in the virtual 3D space in response to an instruction inputted to the computer (16) via the input means (14) such that a distance between the section of the harness design data (A″

) and the constraint point (C4) in the virtual 3D space becomes longer than a length of a wire path between this section and the constraint point, the computer (16) is caused to create (FIG.

     75) a lacking portion (53) in the wire path between the section of the harness design data (A″

) and the constraint point (C4) and to image-display the lacking portion (53) via the display means (11).

13. The wiring harness designing method of claim 12, wherein:

a plurality of constraint points (C4) fixed at positions in the virtual 3D space can be set in the harness design data (A″

) design data by inputting an instruction to the computer (16) via the input means (14), and

if the length of a wire path between the constraint points (C4) of the harness design data (A″

) is changed to be shorter than a distance between the constraint points in the virtual 3D space in response to an instruction inputted to the computer (16) via the input means (14), the computer (16) is caused to create a lacking portion (53) in the wire path between the constraint points (C4) and to image-display the lacking portion (53) via the display means (11).

16. A wiring harness designing system, comprising a computer (16) which:

generates full-size design data, wherein the computer (16) divides wires and other parts forming a wiring harness (2;

Cmp) as a final product into a plurality of subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) based on a full-size design information assuming an arrangement of the wiring harness (2;

Cmp) on a harness assembling table (216), generates full-size design data including subassembly information defining 3D shapes of the respective subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) and of the components (a11, a12, . . . ;

b11, b12, . . . ;

c11, c12, . . . ;

C1, C2, . . . ) thereof, and

displays a 3D shape, wherein the computer (16) combines and displays the 3D shapes of the plurality of subassemblies (Sub1, Sub2, . . . ) on a specified display (11) in such a state arranged on the harness assembling table (216) in a virtual 3D space of the computer system based on the subassembly information generated in connection with the full-size design data generation.

17. A wiring harness designing system, for designing a wiring harness (3) by displaying a harness design data (A″

) which represents a 3D design data of the wiring harness (3) in a virtual 3D space displayed on a display means (11) of a computer (16), wherein

the harness design data (A″

) and an accessory data (F) are obtained by the computer (16), the harness design data being a 3D design data of at least one accessory (33) to be mounted on the wiring harness (3),

wherein the computer (16) displays the harness design data (A″

) and the accessory data (F) in the virtual 3D space on the display means (11) in response to an instruction inputted to the computer (16) via an input means (14), and attaches or combines the accessory data (F) to or with the harness design data (A″

) by changing a positional relationship of at least these data in the virtual 3D space.

18. The wiring harness designing system of claim 17, wherein:

the accessory data (F) includes a covering part data (F1) which is a 3D data of at least one covering part (33) to be mounted on the wiring harness (3), and

wherein the computer (16) is caused, in response to an instruction is inputted thereto via the input means (14), when combining the accessory data (F) to or with the harness design data (A″

) to change a positional relationship between the harness design data (A″

) and the covering part data (F1) in the virtual 3D space and to change the shape of a wire path (FIG.

     71) of at least a section of the harness design data (A″

), thereby attaching or combining the covering part data (F1) with the harness design data (A″

), and/or

wherein the accessory data (F) includes an electrical connection means data (F2) which is a 3D data of at least one electrical connection means to be connected with the wiring harness (3), and

wherein the computer (16) is caused, in response to an instruction inputted thereto via the input means (14), when combining the accessory data (F) with the harness design data (A″

) to change a positional relationship between the harness design data (A″

) and the electrical connection means data (F2) in the virtual 3D space and to change the shape of a wire path (FIG.

     76) of at least a section of the harness design data (A″

), thereby combining the electrical connection means data (F2) with the harness design data (A″

).