Wire harness design support system

• US 6,898,473 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Kabasawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/442,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 700/97, 700/115, 700/117, 700/213, 29/33.F, 297/29, 297/48, 297/49
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

The object of the invention is to provide a wire harness design support system that suitably corresponds to the frequent modification of design and enhances the design efficiency of a jig plate layout and a path layout draft in accordance with it. To achieve the object, guide information calculated based upon a request for modification from a car manufacturer for guiding a modifiable location of a jig plate layout is added to the jig plate layout and it is output. Besides, the jig plate layout can be modified according to an instruction to modify the jig plate layout utilizing the guide information. Further, a path layout draft that reflects the modification of the jig plate layout is also output.

Claims

1. A wire harness design support system for supporting designing a path layout of a wire harness wired in a predetermined location and a jig plate layout for manufacturing the wire harness, comprising:

a path data storing unit for storing at least current path data related to a current path layout;

a jig plate data storing unit for storing at least current jig plate data related to a current jig plate layout;

a path data acquiring unit for acquiring new path data related to a new path layout in which modification is required;

a difference information detecting unit for comparing the new path data and the current path data and detecting difference information between both data; and

a current jig plate layout output unit for adding information which is calculated based upon the difference information and has an effect upon the current jig plate layout, to the current jig plate layout calculated based upon the current path data, and outputting the current jig plate layout to which the information is added.

2. The wire harness design support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a new jig plate layout output unit for outputting a new jig plate layout calculated based upon the new path data; and

a modification guide information output unit for adding guide information for guiding a modifiable location calculated based upon the difference information, to the new jig plate layout, and outputting the new jig plate layout to which the guide information is added.

3. The wire harness design support system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a modification unit for modifying the new jig plate layout according to an instruction to modify the new jig plate layout utilizing the guide information.

4. The wire harness design support system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a path layout draft output unit for outputting a path layout draft that reflects modification in the new jig plate layout.

5. The wire harness design support system according to claim 4, wherein:

the path layout draft output unit outputs the path layout draft based upon information of material characteristics of a wire harness estimated based upon the new path layout.

6. The wire harness design support system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a length information output unit for adding length information to the path layout draft when length of the wire harness is modified in the new path layout and outputting the path layout drat to which the length information is added.

7. A wire harness design support system for supporting designing a path layout of a wire harness wired in a predetermined location and a jig plate layout for manufacturing the wire harness, comprising:

a path data storing unit for storing at least current path data related to a current path layout;

a jig plate data storing unit for storing at least current jig plate data related to a current jig plate layout;

a path data acquiring unit for acquiring new path data related to a path layout the modification of which is required;

a difference information detecting unit for comparing the new path data and the current path data and detecting difference information between both data;

a new jig plate layout output unit for outputting a new jig plate layout calculated based upon the new path data; and

a modification guide information output unit for adding guide information for guiding a modifiable location calculated based upon the difference information of the new jig plate layout, to the new jig plate layout, and outputting the new jig plate layout to which the guide information is added.

8. The wire harness design support system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a modification unit for modifying the new jig plate layout according to an instruction to modify the new jig plate layout utilizing the guide information.

9. The wire harness design support system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a path layout draft output unit for outputting a path layout draft that reflects modification in the new jig plate layout.

10. The wire harness design support system according to claim 9, wherein:

the path layout draft output unit outputs a path layout draft based upon information of the material characteristics of a wire harness estimated based upon the new path layout.

11. The wire harness design support system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a length information output unit for adding length information to the path layout draft when length of the wire harness is modified in the new path layout, and outputting the new path layout draft to which the length information is added.

12. A method of supporting designing a path layout of a wire harness wired in a predetermined location and a jig plate layout for manufacturing the wire harness, comprising the steps of:

a path data storing step of storing at least current path data related to a current path layout;

a jig plate data storing step of storing at least current jig plate data related to a current jig plate layout;

a path data acquiring step of acquiring new path data related to a new path layout in which modification is required;

a difference information detecting step of comparing the new path data and the current path data and detecting difference information between both data; and

a current jig plate layout output step of adding information which is calculated based upon the difference information and has an effect upon the current jig plate layout, to the current jig plate layout calculated based upon the current path data, and outputting the current jig plate layout to which the information is added.

13. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for supporting designing a path layout of a wire harness wired in a predetermined location and a jig plate layout for manufacturing the wire harness, the program causing a computer to execute the steps of:

a path data storing step of storing at least current path data related to a current path layout;

a jig plate data storing step of storing at least current jig plate data related to a current jig plate layout;

a path data acquiring step of acquiring new path data related to a new path layout in which modification is required;

a difference information detecting step of comparing the new path data and the current path data and detecting difference information between both data; and

a current jig plate layout output step of adding information which is calculated based upon the difference information and has an effect upon the current jig plate layout, to the current jig plate layout calculated based upon the current path data, and outputting the current jig plate layout to which the information is added.