Abstract: A method of assisting a wiring design of a wiring structure includes the steps of: regarding the wiring structure constituted by a plurality of pieces of line streak members as an elastic body which has a circular section and in which a plurality of beam elements a linearity of which is maintained are coupled with each other; applying information concerning a shape characteristic, a material characteristic and a constraining condition of the wiring structure as a predetermined condition to a finite element method; calculating a predicted shape of the forcibly displaced wiring structure such that the predetermined condition is satisfied; and outputting the calculated predicted shape.

Abstract: In a rotation angle calculating method of a wire harness, a rotation angle of the wire harness is calculated at an arbitrary measuring point of the wire harness when the wire harness is deformed from a first shape to a second shape while a fixed point of the wire harness is fixed. The method include the steps of: setting intermediate points between the fixed point and the measuring point of the wire harness in the second shape; setting vectors at the nodes of the wire harness in the second shape as node vectors respectively; calculating angles, each of which has a rotation direction, wherein each of the angles is defined between the vectors at the adjoining nodes; and adding the angles to each other so as to calculate a rotation angle having a rotation direction at the measuring point.

Abstract: A method which can correctly calculate a twist angle in a wire harness, an apparatus for the method, and a program for the method are provided. In the invention, a shape obtained by deforming a reference shape model and superimposing the deformed reference shape model on a deformed shape model is calculated with using a finite element method, while referring physical properties of a wire-like structure. In accordance with the superimposition, also a reference axis of the reference shape model is rotated. An angle formed by the reference axis at the timing when the superimposition is ended, and a clamp axis of the deformed shape model and/or a virtual clamp axis is calculated as a twist angle.

Abstract: To provide an effective calculation method and an apparatus therefor for obtaining an outside diameter of a wire packing by bundling and packing a plurality of wires into the smallest possible circular shape. The outside diameter of a wire harness surrounding a plurality of wires is efficiently obtained by repeatedly calculating an operation in which the layout of the plurality of wires making up the wire harness is changed such that, by using a computer, the wires are moved as distantly as possible from the wire protruding from an including circle, and the protruding wire is inserted in a space thus created. In particular, by adopting the concept of a circular Voronoi diagram, it becomes possible to obtain the outside diameter of the wire harness extremely simply and in a short time.

Abstract: A calculating apparatus includes a finite element model creating unit that creates a finite element model of the wire structure, a setting unit that sets physical properties, restriction conditions and loads of the wire structure to the finite element model, a predictive shape calculating unit that calculates a predictive shape of the finite element model in a physically balanced condition, an outputting unit that outputs the predictive shape of the finite element model, a load calculating unit that calculates the loads which are applied to the respective joints of the finite element model, a displacing unit that displaces a predetermined control point on the finite element model. The predictive shape calculating unit calculates the predictive shape of the finite element model in which the control point is displaced, based on the loads applied to the finite element model prior to the displacement of the control point.

Abstract: In a calculating apparatus for calculating a predictive shape of a wire structure using a finite element model, a predictive shape of the finite element model which is in a physically balanced condition based on physical properties and restriction conditions is calculated. When it is determined that the predictive shape of the finite element model crosses an obstacle model, the control point of the finite element model is returned to a position corresponding to a position immediately before the crossing of the joint with the obstacle model and a crossing joint which is the joint crossing with the obstacle model is bound to a contact point of the finite element model with the obstacle model. The predictive shape is output when the control point is returned to a position at the time of crossing of the finite element model with the obstacle while maintaining the binding.

Abstract: A method of supporting an optimum wiring design of a linear structure, includes steps of providing a finite element model of both of the linear structure and a support member which supports the linear structure, the finite element model being formed as an elastic body having a plurality of combined beam elements which retain linearity, setting physical properties and restriction conditions of the linear structure and the support member to the finite element model, calculating a predictive shape of the finite element model which is in a physically balanced condition based on the physical properties and the restriction conditions, and outputting a calculation result of the calculation process.

Abstract: A supporting apparatus for supporting an optimum wiring design of a linear structure includes a providing unit which provides a finite element model of the linear structure, the finite element model being formed as an elastic body having a plurality of combined beam elements which retain linearity, a setting unit which sets a physical property and restriction conditions of the linear structure to the finite element model, a first calculating unit which calculates a predictive shape of the finite element model which is in a physically balanced condition based on the physical property and the restriction conditions; a second calculating unit which calculates a reaction at a predetermined evaluation point of the predictive shape, a comparing unit which compares the reaction with a predetermined threshold value, and an outputting unit which outputs a comparison result by the comparing unit.

Abstract: A supporting apparatus includes a first setting unit which sets an initial shape of the linear structure, a providing unit which provides a finite element model of the linear structure, a second setting unit which sets a physical property and restriction conditions to the finite element model, a calculating unit which calculates a predictive shape of the finite element model which is in a physically balanced condition based on the physical property and the restriction conditions, and an outputting unit which outputs a calculation result of the calculating process of the predictive shape. The calculating unit calculates a first predictive shape in which a forced displacement destination of a first control point on the finite element model is set as the restriction conditions, and calculates a second predictive shape in which a forced displacement destination of a second control point on the finite element model is set as the restriction conditions.

Abstract: A calculation method includes the steps of: setting a moving condition about the respective wire materials; regarding cross-sectional shapes of the wire materials as a plurality of circles; assuming a comprehensive circle containing the circles; defining a target circle which is slightly smaller than the comprehensive circle; searching for a destination position into which the circles excluding an insertion-tried circle is moved as farther as possible from the insertion-tried circle; inserting the insertion-tried circle into a space within the target circle; defining a new target circle that is slightly smaller than the present target circle when all the insertion-tried circle is inserted in the target circle, and returning to the searching step; repetitively performing the defining step, the searching step, the insertion step, and defining step of the new target circle for reducing the comprehensive circle; and determining information about positions of the comprehensive circle and the circles.

Abstract: A calculation method for packing a plurality of wires constituting a wire harness comprises the steps of: removing a first circle from a plurality of circles; forming a primary inclusive circle as small as possible in which a plurality of second circles are included in the primary inclusive circle so as not to be overlapped with each other; calculating first position information regarding a position of the primary inclusive circle and the second circles included in the primary inclusive circle; forming a final inclusive circle as small as possible in which the first circle is arranged in the primary inclusive circle while the second circles are fixed in the primary inclusive circle in accordance with the position information such that the first circle and the second circles are not overlapped with each other; calculating and outputting second position information regarding a position of the final inclusive circle.

Abstract: A wire harness constituted by bundling a plurality of pieces of line streak members by a predetermined exterior member is regarded to be an elastic body having a circular shape and coupled with a plurality of beam elements maintaining a linearity to form a model and a shape of the wire harness is predicted by utilizing a finite element method. When an end portion of the wire harness is displaced by an input apparatus, a shape 1c physically in equilibrium is automatically calculated by the finite element method and is drawn again. That is, the shape physically in equilibrium is automatically calculated and drawn by following a shape design by well-known operation by CAD at a background thereof.

Abstract: A method of assisting a wiring design of a wiring structure includes the steps of: regarding the wiring structure constituted by a plurality of pieces of line streak members as an elastic body which has a circular section and in which a plurality of beam elements a linearity of which is maintained are coupled with each other; applying information concerning a shape characteristic, a material characteristic and a constraining condition of the wiring structure as a predetermined condition to a finite element method; calculating a predicted shape of the displaced wiring structure such that the predetermined condition is satisfied; further calculating a characteristic value with respect to vibration for the calculated predicted shape; and outputting the calculated predicted shape and the calculated characteristic value.

Abstract: A method of assisting a wiring design of a wiring structure includes the steps of: regarding the wiring structure constituted by a plurality of pieces of line streak members as an elastic body which has a circular section and in which a plurality of beam elements a linearity of which is maintained are coupled with each other; applying information concerning a shape characteristic, a material characteristic and a constraining condition of the wiring structure as a predetermined condition to a finite element method; calculating a predicted shape of the forcibly displaced wiring structure such that the predetermined condition is satisfied; and outputting the calculated predicted shape.