Wire harness and method of manufacturing the same

• US 5,610,447 A
• Filed: 06/16/1993
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Shigeru, Sawamura, Naohito, Nakamura, Hiroshi, Taira, Kiyoshi, Nakajima, Hiroyuki, Suzuki, Ichiro, Nishikawa, Yasuo, Kumazawa, Yoshihiro, Iwata, Hitoshi, Omaki, Mitsuyoshi, Sakashita, Takao, Nabeshima, Ryuichi, Takamura, Koukichi, Okino, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANJIAN, PETER
• Application Number:
  US08/077,035
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 361/826, 361/827, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/12, 307/148, 307/38, 439/34, 439/505, 29/857, 29/335, 29/755, 29/863, 174/72 A, 174/72 R, 174/71 R
• US Class Current: 307/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/08 Short-circuiting members for bridging contacts in a counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0286 Programmable, customizable or modifiable circuits by programmable non-printed jumper connections H05K3/222
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A wire harness for an appliance containing a combination of selectable electrical systems is separated into a common circuit which is always provided independently of presence or absence of the selectable electrical systems, and dedicated circuits one for each of the selectable electrical systems, the common circuit and the dedicated circuits of the selected electrical systems are detachably joined to each other via a branch connector to form the wire harness whereby simple production control and high production efficiency are assured and changes in production or design can be readily dealt with in the production of a wire harness.

Claims

1. A wire harness for an appliance, the appliance including a combination of a normally installed electrical equipment and at least one electrical system selected from a plurality of selectable electrical systems, said wire harness comprising:

a common circuit, and

at least one dedicated circuit selected from a plurality of dedicated circuits configured for respective selectable electrical systems,

wherein said common circuit includes a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and a signal circuit associated with normally installed electrical equipment and each of said dedicated circuits includes a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and a system signal circuit associated with one of the selectable electrical systems, and wherein said common circuit and the dedicated circuits of the selected electrical systems are detachably joined to each other via a branch connector.

2. A wire harness according to claim 1, wherein said common circuit and each of said dedicated circuits for each of the selectable electrical systems are divided into a plurality of sub circuits which can be joined to each other by means of a connector and a terminal.

3. A wire harness according to claim 1, wherein said appliance is a vehicle.

4. A wire harness according to claim 3, wherein said wire harness is one of a main harness, an engine compartment harness, a cabin harness and a front door harness.

5. A wire harness according to claim 4, wherein said selectable electrical system includes at least one of a four wheel drive system, a keyless entry system, an anti-lock braking system and an electronic control suspension system.

6. A wire harness according to claim 1, wherein said appliance is one of an industrial appliance and a household appliance.

7. A method of manufacturing a wire harness for an appliance whose circuit differs depending on a combination of selectable electrical systems, said method comprising the steps of:

separately forming a common circuit by forming a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and a signal circuit associated with normally installed electrical equipments, and each of dedicated circuits by forming a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and a system signal circuit associated with one of the selectable electrical systems, each of said dedicated circuits being configured according to a respective selectable electrical system; and

detachably joining said common circuit to said dedicated circuits of the selected electrical systems using at least one branch connector.

8. A wire harness manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein said common circuit and each of said dedicated circuits for each of the selectable electrical systems are divided into a plurality of sub circuits which can be joined to each by means of a connector and a terminal to form the wire harness.

9. A wire harness manufacturing method according to either of claims 7 or 8, wherein said appliance is a vehicle.

10. A wire harness manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein said wire harness is one of a main harness, an engine compartment harness, a cabin harness and a front door harness.

11. A wire harness manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein said selectable electrical system includes at least one of a four wheel drive system, a keyless entry system, an anti-lock braking system and an electronic control suspension system.

12. A wire harness manufacturing method according to either of claims 7 or 8, wherein said appliance is one of an industrial appliance and a household appliance.

13. A wire harness manufacturing method according to either of claims 7 or 8, wherein said working tables are conveyor type working tables being circulated.

14. A wire harness manufacturing method according to claim 13, wherein connection of the wire harness of said common circuit is completed on part of a plurality of said working tables, while connection of the wire harness of said dedicated circuits is completed on the remaining working tables.

15. A wire harness manufacturing method according to claim 13, wherein said working tables are divided into a plurality of working table groups, the wire harnesses of said common circuit and said dedicated circuits are sequentially assembled in each group of said working tables, and the assembling of the wire harnesses of said common circuit and said dedicated circuits are completed at the same time on the final group of said working tables.