Wire harness production controlling method

• US 5,610,454 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:
  US08/077,034
• 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, 307/147, 439/34, 439/505, 29/857, 29/33 F, 29/755, 29/863, 174/72 A, 174/72 R, 174/71 R
• US Class Current: 307/147
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

In the production of a wire harness for an appliance whose circuit differs depending on a combination of selectable electrical systems, the wire harness is divided beforehand into the common circuit which is always provided independently of the presence or absence of the selectable electrical systems and the dedicated circuits one for each of the selectable electrical systems, the wire harness for the appliance is separated into a common circuit and dedicated circuits one for each of the associated electrical systems when an order of an appliance is made, a number of common circuits and a number of each of the dedicated circuits for the electrical systems are added up, the added up number of an common circuits and the dedicated circuits are manufactured and the common circuit and the dedicated circuits of the associated electric systems are combined to produce wire harnesses of the ordered appliances, whereby simple production control and high production efficiency are assured and changes is production or design can be readily coped with.

Claims

1. A wire harness production method for the production of wire harnesses to be used in appliances of different models, wherein each of the different models includes a normally installed electrical equipment and at least one optional electrical system selected from a plurality of selectable electrical systems, comprising the steps of:

designing a common circuit which is designed to be installed in each of the appliances regardless of model, and which includes a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and signal circuits associated with the normally installed electrical equipment;

designing a plurality of dedicated circuits each designed to be used with one of the selectable electrical system and each including a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and a system signal circuit associated with one of the selectable electrical systems;

determining the number of the common circuit and the dedicated circuits to be produced by setting the number of common circuits to be produced as equal to the total number of appliances to be produced, and respectively adding up a number of each of the dedicated circuits included in the appliances of the different models to be produced by determining the number of the optional electrical systems selected for the total number of appliances to be produced;

separately manufacturing common circuits in an amount equal to the added up number of common circuits and manufacturing each of the dedicated circuits in an amount equal to the added up number of the respective dedicated circuit;

affixing connectors to said common circuits and to each of said dedicated circuits; and

combining the common circuits with the associated dedicated circuits based on the combination of optional electrical systems selected for each appliance to produce wire harnesses appliances of different models by connecting connectors of said common circuits with respective connectors of the optional electrical systems selected for each appliance.

2. A method 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 one-step-connected to each other by means of a connector and a terminal, the number of sub circuits being added up for every appliance, an said wire harnesses of the appliances being manufactured by combining the divided sub circuits.

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

4. A method 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 method 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 method according to claim 1, wherein said appliance is an industrial or household appliance.

7. A wire harness production controlling method for controlling the production of wire harnesses to be used in appliances of different models, wherein each of the different models includes a normally installed electrical appliance and at least one electrical system selected from a plurality of selectable electrical systems corresponding to a plurality of features, comprising the steps of:

designing a wire harness for every one of the appliances of different models to comprise a combination of a common circuit which is designed to be installed in each of the appliances regardless of model and which includes a circuit group of a power source circuit, a ground circuit and signal circuits associated with the normally installed electrical equipment, and at least one of a plurality of dedicated circuits each designed to be used with one of the selectable electrical systems and each including a circuit group of a power source circuit, a grounding circuit and a system signal circuit associated with one of the selectable electrical systems;

constructing a matrix data for indicating each of a combination of the common circuit and selected dedicated circuits from the plurality of dedicated circuits which constitutes the wire harnesses of each appliance;

determining the number of the common circuits and the dedicated circuits to be produced by respectively adding up a number of the common circuits and a number of each of the dedicated circuits included in the appliances of the different models to be produced from the matrix data;

separately manufacturing common circuits in an amount equal to the added up number of common circuits and manufacturing each of the dedicated circuits in an amount equal to the added up number of the respective dedicated circuit;

affixing connectors to said common circuits and to each of said dedicated circuits; and

combining each common circuit with the associated dedicated circuits based on the matrix data to produce wire harnesses of the appliances of different models to be produced by connecting connectors of said common circuits with respective connectors of the optional electrical systems selected for each appliance.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the added number of the common circuits and the added number of each of the dedicated circuits for the selectable electrical system are increased or decreased by changing the entries of said matrix.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein wire harnesses for a single appliance are manufactured using the matrix data.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said appliance is a vehicle.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said wire harness includes at least one of a main harness, an engine compartment harness, a cabin harness and a front door harness.

12. A 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.