Door mirror harness sealing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12221041-B2
Application number	US-202318306313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2023
Priority date	Apr 25, 2023
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A sealing system and method for a mirror assembly of a vehicle is provided. The mirror assembly includes a wire harness assembly in which at least a first wire harness and a second wire harness are coupled together. The first wire harness is protected within a rigid encasing but for an exposed portion. The exposed portion permits freer movement of the internal pins in that area, which promotes a better fit with the adjacent second wire harness. In one example, a foam sheath can used to cover a portion of the wire harness assembly, which is then routed through a gasket. This arrangement is configured to prevent air leaks that might otherwise occur due to gapping between the first wire harness and the second wire harness.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of sealing a wire harness assembly for a door mirror assembly of a vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining a first wire harness that is surrounded by a rigid encasing;
removing a first portion of the rigid encasing along a first portion of the first wire harness to obtain a flexible segment and exposing a set of pins running through an interior of the first wire harness; and
coupling the first wire harness to a second wire harness by wrapping together, using a fabric-based tape, the flexible segment to an adjacent segment of the second wire harness, thereby forming a wire harness assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising wrapping a flexible thermoplastic tape directly around a first region of the set of pins before coupling the first wire harness to the second wire harness.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the flexible thermoplastic tape overlaps from the first region of the flexible segment onto at least an adjacent peripheral portion of the rigid encasing, thereby forming a seal.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising wrapping another flexible thermoplastic tape around a second region of the set of pins before coupling the first wire harness to the second wire harness, and the first region and the second region are spaced apart by an intermediate region in which the set of pins remain exposed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first region, second region, and intermediate region collectively form a bow-tie zone in which a diameter of the first wire harness decreases in a direction toward the intermediate region.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising manipulating an arrangement of the set of pins in the intermediate region to approximately align with a profile contour of the adjacent segment of the second wire harness and improve their coupling fit.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising positioning the flexible segment such that the first region extends through a gasket protruding from a plate body of the door mirror assembly.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising encasing a portion of the gasket and the flexible segment in a foam sheath.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid encasing comprises a high strength thermoplastic material.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising routing a plurality of pins through a rigid encasing to form the first wire harness.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rigid encasing is substantially tubular.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabric-based tape includes felt.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising routing the wire harness assembly from a first electrical element in the door mirror assembly and through a plate body of the door mirror assembly for connection to the vehicle.

14. A sealing system for a wire harness assembly of a mirror assembly of a vehicle, the sealing system comprising:
a first wire harness including a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being surrounded by a rigid encasing and the second segment including an intermediate region in which a plurality of pins traveling through the first segment and the second segment are exposed; and
a second wire harness coupled to the first wire harness by a fabric-based tape wrapped around the second segment and an adjacent segment of the second wire harness.

15. The sealing system of claim 14 , wherein the first segment has an approximately triangular cross-sectional shape.

16. The sealing system of claim 15 , wherein the second segment has an approximately circular cross-sectional shape.

17. The sealing system of claim 14 , wherein the coupled first wire harness and second wire harness are configured to pass through a gasket protruding from a plate body for the mirror assembly.

18. The sealing system of claim 14 , wherein the first wire harness further includes a third segment surrounded by the rigid encasing, and the second segment extends between the first segment and the third segment.

19. The sealing system of claim 14 , wherein the rigid encasing comprises a high strength thermoplastic material.

20. The sealing system of claim 14 , wherein a flexible thermoplastic tape overlaps from a first region of the second segment onto at least an adjacent peripheral portion of the rigid encasing on the first segment, thereby forming a seal.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• May Hunter
• Rupp Timothy J
• Tamarapoo Babuji K
• Takemoto Hirofumi

Classifications

• H02G15/013

  Sealing means for cable inlets (inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32) · CPC title

• B60R16/0215

  Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor · CPC title

• B60R16/0222 Primary

  Grommets · CPC title