Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-08
2003-09-02
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
C307S009100, C307S010600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06614128
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an on-vehicle wiring harness, particularly to an on-vehicle wiring harness connecting a low voltage load and a high voltage load to batteries for supplying powers to the loads.
2. Related Art
A conventional wiring harness is used, for example as illustrated in
FIG. 3A
, in an on-vehicle electrical wiring system.
In
FIG. 3A
, an alternator
1
driven by an engine (not shown) generates an alternating current which is converted into a direct current at an effective voltage of 14 volts by an AC/DC converter
20
. The direct current is supplied to a 14-volt battery
4
through a power supply line for charging a power.
Meanwhile, the 14-volt battery
4
supplies the direct current having the 14 volt effective voltage to a large current connector
10
a
through a 20-ampere fuse
6
a
and a large current electrical cable
8
a
. The direct current is input to a small current connector
10
b
through a 10-ampere fuse
7
and a small current electrical cable
9
. Note that the fuses
6
a
and
7
are determined each based on an allowable current value of the rated electrical cable
8
a
or
9
.
The large current connector
10
a
and the small current connector
10
b
are arranged for inputting a power, for example, to an actuator
11
a
moving a wiper. The small current connector
10
b
outputs a small current for opening and closing a relay
12
a
in response to the push of a switch
14
. The push of the switch
14
provides a small current to a coil of the relay
12
a
to bring the relay
12
a
in a closed state. Meanwhile, the large current connector
10
a
outputs a large current for driving a motor
13
a
of the actuator
11
a
. The large current is supplied to the motor
13
a
, when the relay
12
a
is brought in its closed state in response to the push of the switch
14
. The relay
12
a
and the motor
13
a
each are driven by a pre-determined rated power having a rated 14 volt voltage.
The large current electrical cable
8
a
has a minimum diameter but allows a large current determined by the rated power consumption of the motor
13
a
and the applied effective voltage of 14 volts. The cable
8
has, for example, a sectional area of 1.25 mm
2
. The fuse
6
a
allows a large current of 20 amperes.
Meanwhile, the small current electrical cable
9
has a minimum diameter and allows a small current determined by the rated power consumption of the relay
12
a
and the applied effective voltage of 14 volts. The cable
9
has, for example, a sectional area of 0.5 mm
2
. The fuse
6
a
allows the small current of 10 amperes.
However, the actuator
11
a
requires two lines each having the large current connector
10
a
or the small current connector
10
b
. The connectors
10
a
and
10
b
each have a metal pin terminal different according to each electrical cable diameter allowing each current. This increases the number of parts, causing an increased manufacturing cost.
To reduce the number of parts of the components illustrated in
FIG. 3B
, it may be proposed that the pin terminals of the two lines are unified to correspond to the large current electrical cable
9
having a sectional area of 1.25 mm
2
.
In
FIG. 3B
, an actuator
11
b
has a large current connector
10
c
which is also used for a small current. Reference numerals
12
a
and
13
a
designate the same components described in FIG.
3
A.
However, the large current connector
10
c
should have a configuration corresponding to a large current not only of the pin terminal but also as a whole. Generally, the pin terminal requires a larger size as corresponding to a large current specification thereof. Thus, the unified specification for the large current results in a larger size of the connector. This is undesirable for a weight reduction requirement of cars having a lots of connectors. Furthermore, the unified large current terminals increases their material cost.
Recently, some of on-vehicle appliances use a high voltage battery
30
having a 48 volt voltage for an effective operation thereof. This reduces electrical cables in diameter and allows smaller connectors. However, there are still the following problems.
FIG. 4
is a block diagram of an on-vehicle electrical wiring system using a 48 volt battery. In
FIG. 4
, reference numerals the same as those of
FIG. 3A
each designate the same component as that of
FIG. 3A
, which will not be discussed again.
In
FIG. 4
, an alternating generated by the alternator
1
is converted into a direct current at a 42 volt effective voltage by the AC/DC converter
2
. The direct current is supplied to a 42-volt battery
3
to be charged therein through a power supply line. The DC 42 volt power is partially converted into a direct current at a 14 volt effective voltage by a DC/DC converter
5
to be supplied to a 14-volt battery
4
.
The direct current at the 14 volt effective voltage is delivered from the 14-volt battery
4
to the small current connector
10
b
through a 10-ampere fuse
7
and a small current electrical cable
9
in the same way as illustrated in FIG.
3
A. The direct current at the 42 volt effective voltage is delivered from the 42-volt battery
3
to a small current connector
10
d
through a 7-ampere fuse
6
b
and a small current electrical cable
8
b
. The ratings of the fuses
6
b
and
7
are determined based on allowable current values of the electrical cables
8
b
and
9
.
The small current connectors
10
b
and
10
d
are arranged for delivering a power to an actuator
11
in the same way as discussed of FIG.
3
A. The actuator
11
has a motor
13
driven by a 42 volt voltage, but the motor
13
has the same rated power consumption as the motor
13
a
of FIG.
3
A.
In the same way as discussed of
FIG. 3A
, the push of the switch
14
brings a relay
12
in a closed state so that the motor
13
receives a power to be brought into operation.
The small current electrical cable
9
allows a predetermined small current and has a minimum diameter, for example, with a sectional area of 0.5 mm
2
as well as that of FIG.
3
A. However, since the motor
13
having a 42 volt rating has the same rated power consumption as the motor
13
a
, the allowable current value of the small current electrical cable
8
b
is one-third of that of the small current electrical cable
8
b
of FIG.
3
A. Theoretically, in view of weight reduction, the large current electrical cable
8
a
may have a sectional area of one-third of 1.25 mm
2
. The associated connector
10
d
also can have a reduced size.
This arrangement is advantageous for a weight reduction of a car but brings about the following disadvantage. That is, an electrical cable having an extremely small diameter to reduce its weight causes a difficult assembling work, for example, in soldering thereof. This requires a specified jig. Furthermore, the electrical cables
8
b
and
9
are different from each other in diameter and require connectors
10
d
and
10
b
which are different from each other in shape. This results in an increased time for assembling the cables and connectors, causing an increased manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide an on-vehicle wiring harness assembly having cables unified in size for different uses. The wiring harness assembly can reduce a manufacturing cost thereof and also can consist of cables having an appropriately minimized diameter to achieve a weight reduction of the wiring harness assembly.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the present invention will be discussed.
For achieving the object, in a first aspect of an on-vehicle wiring harness according to the present invention, an on-vehicle wiring harness has a first electrical cable
90
having a minimum diameter and a second electrical cable
80
. The first electrical cable connects a low voltage load
120
to a low voltage battery
40
for supplying a power. The first electrical cable
90
has a first current rating corresponding to a rated power consumption o
Mizuguchi Yasushi
Shimura Kazushige
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
DeBeradinis Robert L
Sircus Brian
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
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