As vehicles become more sophisticated, so does the tangle of wires that power their many functions. Wiring harnesses have long been bulky, heavy and complicated, and now they’re getting even more complicated as manufacturers pack their latest models with more technology than ever before.
The complexity of the taillights added weight, more wiring, and higher repair costs, but to solve those problems, Mercedes-Benz came up with a new approach that could simplify things in the tailgate area.
Rear end redesign
In order to reduce the number of wires that go into the moving panels, Mercedes has patented a simple analog solution. While the design doesn’t invent hot water, it could help reduce mass and simplify certain electrical connections.
The newly filed patent, which was registered with the German Intellectual Property Office and was first spotted by Carscoops, describes a spring-loaded mechanical switch designed to be installed inside moving panels like a tailgate. Instead of running wires through flexible conduits, the switch would transmit power to the taillights via physical contact points.
Such a solution would be particularly useful for vehicles where the taillights move together with the tailgate, requiring longer wires. The flexible wiring covers seen near the trunk hinges exist solely to allow this movement, adding cost, mass and additional points of potential failure over time.
Also included in the patent is a rendering of what appears to be the rear end of the current model GLS, whose taillights split in two when the tailgate is opened. In this case, the switch could send power from the outer parts of the light to the rest of the circuit, allowing for shorter wiring paths.
An old trick in a new context
The use of spring contacts like this is not a new idea and has been used for decades, although it is not often seen in the automotive industry. The solution could work well, helping to save a small amount of weight and complexity by reducing the number of wires entering the tailgate.
But the challenge lies in the environment. Tailgates tend to collect dirt, especially on vehicles that are frequently used in bad weather or off-road. The electrical contacts in these places should be well protected and self-cleaning in order to remain reliable over time. Otherwise, the entire system could fail due to something as banal as a layer of dust.
While the concept is clever, its practical and reliable application could require a significant effort from the Mercedes R&D team. Such an investment may not come quickly, so it is difficult to imagine that this solution will soon appear in mass production.