Harness system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9771035-B2
Application number	US-201414278144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

Harness systems for a mining vehicle are disclosed. One system includes a first harness having a first plurality of wires coupled together and a first length. The system further comprises a second harness having a second plurality of wires coupled together and a second length, wherein at least one of the first plurality of wires is conductively coupled to at least one of the second plurality of wires. The second length spans a distance no greater than the first length. The second harness may be placed in a high risk area, which may be selected based upon at least one of one or more characteristics of the mining vehicle or a location of the high risk area within the mining vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wiring system for a mining vehicle comprising:
a first harness having a first plurality of wires coupled together and a first length;
a second harness having a second plurality of wires coupled together and a second length, wherein at least one of the first plurality of wires is conductively coupled to at least one of the second plurality of wires, the second length spanning a distance no greater than the first length; and
a third harness having a third plurality of wires coupled together, the third harness having a third length shorter than the second length,
wherein the second harness is configured to be placed in a high risk area, the high risk area selected based upon at least one of one or more characteristics of the mining vehicle or a location of the high risk area within the mining vehicle,
wherein the second length spans a distance between an end of the second harness connectable to the first harness and at least one other end of the second harness connectable to at least one of another harness or a component of the mining vehicle, and
wherein the third harness is configured to couple to at least one of the first harness, the second harness, and the component of the mining vehicle.

2. The wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the first harness is of a first grade and the second harness is of a second grade, the first grade being lower than the second grade.

3. The wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the first harness further comprises a first average cross-sectional area and the second harness further comprises a second average cross-sectional area, the second average cross-sectional area being smaller than the first average cross-sectional area.

4. The wiring system of claim 3 , wherein the third harness comprises a third average cross-sectional area, the third average cross-sectional area being one of substantially equal or smaller than the second average cross-sectional area.

5. The wiring system of claim 4 , wherein the first harness is of a first grade, the second harness is of a second grade, and the third harness is of the second grade, the first grade being lower than the second grade.

6. The wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the second harness is configured to have greater accessibility for servicing the mining vehicle based on a span of the second length.

7. The wiring system of claim 1 , wherein the second length spans a distance of five feet or less.

8. The wiring system of claim 1 , the first harness further comprising a first plurality of connectors configured to couple the first plurality of wires within the first harness to other wires, and the second harness comprising a second plurality of connectors configured to couple the second plurality of wires within the second harness to other wires, wherein the second plurality of connectors is less than the first plurality of connectors.

9. The wiring system of claim 8 , wherein the second harness comprises 4 or less connectors.

10. A mining vehicle comprising:
a mining vehicle frame having at least one high risk area;
a first harness having a first plurality of wires coupled together and a first length; and
a second harness having a second plurality of wires coupled together and a second length, wherein at least one of the first plurality of wires is conductively coupled to at least one of the second plurality of wires, the second length spanning a distance less than the first length,
wherein the first harness and the second harness is configured to be coupled to the mining vehicle frame,
wherein the second harness is configured to be placed in a high risk area, the high risk area selected based upon at least one of one or more characteristics of the mining vehicle or a location of the high risk area within the mining vehicle,
wherein the second length spans a distance between an end of the second harness connectable to the first harness and at least one other end of the second harness connectable to at least one of another harness or a component of the mining vehicle, and
wherein the first harness further comprises a first plurality of connectors configured to couple the first plurality of wires within the first harness to other wires, and the second harness comprises a second plurality of connectors configured to couple the second plurality of wires within the second harness to other wires, wherein the second plurality of connectors is less than the first plurality of connectors.

11. The mining vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the second length spans a distance of five feet or less and the second harness comprises 4 or less connectors.

12. The mining vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first harness further comprises a first average cross-sectional area and the second harness further comprises a second average cross-sectional area, the second average cross-sectional area being smaller than the first average cross-sectional area.

13. The mining vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first harness is of a first grade and the second harness is of a second grade, the first grade being lower than the second grade.

14. The mining vehicle of claim 10 , the mining vehicle further comprising at least one low risk area, in which at least one of a plurality of additional harnesses is configured to be placed, at least one of the plurality of additional harnesses further configured to be placed in the at least one high risk area, wherein the at least one of the plurality of additional harnesses configured to be placed in the at least one high risk area is shorter in length and higher in quality than the at least one of the plurality of additional harnesses configured to be placed in the at least one low risk area.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Rottman Joseph Lee
• Krager Justin Matthew
• Usgaonker Bhiku S Sinai

Classifications

• F16L11/12

  with arrangements for particular purposes, e.g. specially profiled, with protecting layer, heated, electrically conducting (F16L11/11 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R16/08

  fluid · CPC title

• B60R16/0215 Primary

  Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor · CPC title

• H02G3/04

  Protective tubing or conduits, e.g. cable ladders or cable troughs · CPC title

• H02G11/00

  Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts · CPC title