Wire harness distribution structure for vehicle

• US 6,504,262 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Kisu, Naomi, Aoki, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert L
• Application Number:
  US09/691,023
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/286 in walls

Abstract

A wire harness distribution structure for a vehicle includes a multi-point junction box (12) provided at one end of a body panel (11) of the vehicle, and two or more electric equipment (21-26) furnished to the other end of the body panel (11). Two or more distribution belts (13A-13F) extend in the radial direction from the multi-point junction box (12) toward the electric equipment (21-26). The multi-point junction box (12) has two or more branch connectors (12a-12e), and each electric equipment has a connector (21a-26a) facing the associated branch connector of the multi-point junction box (12). Each distribution belt (13) comprises a flat cable (14) and female connectors (15) attached to both ends of the flat cable (14), and extends between one of the branch connector (15) and the associated electric equipment at a shortest path.

Claims

1. A wire harness distribution structure for a vehicle, comprising:

a body panel of the vehicle;

a multi-point junction box provided at one end of the body panel of the vehicle, the multi-point junction box comprising two or more branch connectors;

two or more electric devices furnished to, and remote from, the one end of the body panel, each of the electric devices having a connector facing an associated branch connector of the multi-point junction box; and

two or more distribution belts, each of the distribution belts extending between the connector of one of the electric devices and the associated branch connector, forming a shortest path therebetween.

2. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 1, wherein the distribution belts extend in a substantially radial manner from the multi-point junction box toward the electric devices.

3. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 1, wherein each distribution belt comprises a wire harness and a connector attached to each end of the wire harness.

4. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 3, wherein one of the connectors of each distribution belt is connected to one of the branch connectors of the multi-point junction box and the other connector of each distribution belt is connected to the connector of an associated electric device.

5. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 3, wherein the branch connectors of the multi-point junction box and the connectors of the electric devices are male connectors and the connectors of each distribution belt are female connectors.

6. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 3, wherein the wire harness is a flat cable comprising a plurality of electric wires connected in parallel and collected into a single unit by thermal bonding.

7. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 1, wherein the multi-point junction box includes a built-in electronic control unit connected to the branch connectors of the multi-point junction box.

8. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 7, wherein each of the electric devices are independently and intensively controlled by the electronic control unit.

9. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 1, wherein the multi-point junction box has a polygonal shape and the branch connectors are positioned along the periphery of the polygonal shape.

10. A wire harness distribution structure for a vehicle, comprising:

a body panel of the vehicle;

a multi-point junction box provided at one end of the body panel of the vehicle, the multi-point junction box comprising two or more branch connectors and an electronic control unit;

two or more electric devices furnished to, and remote from, the one end of the body panel, each of the electric devices having a connector facing an associated branch connector of the multi-point junction box; and

two or more distribution belts, each of the distribution belts extending between the connector of one of the electric devices and the associated branch connector, forming a shortest path therebetween.

11. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 10, wherein the distribution belts extend in a substantially radial manner from the multi-point junction box toward the electric devices.

12. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 10, wherein each distribution belt comprises a wire harness and a connector attached to each end of the wire harness.

13. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 12, wherein one of the connectors of each distribution belt is connected to one of the branch connectors of the multi-point junction box and the other connector of each distribution belt is connected to the connector of an associated electric device.

14. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 12, wherein the branch connectors of the multi-point junction box and the connectors of the electric devices are male connectors and the connectors of each distribution belt are female connectors.

15. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 12, wherein the wire harness is a flat cable comprising a plurality of electric wires connected in parallel and collected into a single unit by thermal bonding.

16. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit is connected to the branch connectors of the multi-point junction box.

17. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 16, wherein each of the electric devices are independently and intensively controlled by the electronic control unit.

18. The wire harness distribution structure of claim 10, wherein the multi-point junction box has a polygonal shape and the branch connectors are positioned along the periphery of the polygonal shape.