CZ280497B6 - Apparatus for producing bundles of conductors - Google Patents

Abstract

The device consists of a mechanized conveyor (23) with an inlet and an outlet portion (25, 26) and at least two work stations (15) along it for the gradual formation of conductor bundles (8) from the seed to the finished, wherein the conveyor (23) comprises means for fastened for further attachment of the germinal bundle (8a) and movement therewith. The apparatus further comprises means at at least some working and supplying locations (15) for the conductor (4), including terminated conductors (4) for bundling (8) and a tray (50) at at least one side of the conveyor (23) along at least its inlet portion (25), wherein the seed bundle conductors (4) are positioned transversely across the conveyor (23) and extend beyond its width into the tray (50). ŕ

Description

Equipment for the production of wire harnesses

Technical field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for producing wire harnesses, each wire harness consisting of a plurality of wires, consisting of a mechanized conveyor with inlet and outlet portions and a plurality of workstations along it. fastened for further attachment and movement of the seed bundle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wire harnesses are produced in many forms and with many techniques, starting with intensive manual work and ending with a relatively high level of automation. Manual production can only be accepted if automation would require significant capital investment and would be relatively inflexible. The production of high-quality, low-cost wiring harnesses for motor vehicles can be a complex problem, especially when high initial equipment costs and wire harness variations for different car models serve as an argument against a high degree of automation. However, the relatively high cost of manual labor argues against the inefficient use of this work.

Thus, while the flexibility of production may require maintenance of manual labor during production, it is important that the processes and machinery used are as efficient and efficient as possible for the production to be competitive.

In previous wire harness systems, different persons or workers performed different partial operations at different locations, ie one worker cut the wires, another carried out assembly work on sub-assemblies and another overall assembly. Until recently, it has been enhanced by a continuous production process in which one worker could perform multiple operations, such as cutting wire, preparing subassemblies, and preparing for final assembly. However, this technique was labor-intensive and labor-intensive due to the considerable need to walk around the workplace. In addition, a lot of time required the work of a worker to carry out all these operations.

Since joining a plurality of wires in different pre-arrangements is at the core of the wiring harness, efficient processing of these wires during the manufacturing process is particularly important.

In the manufacture of bundles of conductors and other bundles of longitudinal articles, it is often necessary to maintain the compactness of the bundles when the tape is wrapped around them. When creating wire bundles, it has been customary to wrap the wire bundle around the bundle manually. Depending on the size of the bundle, the type of tape and the time to perform this operation, this activity is extremely strenuous and even painful for the person performing it. For this reason, wrapping began on the motor-driven wrapping machine, that is, the mechanical wrapping of the wire harness.

-1GB 280497 B6

Typical wrapping machines include a base frame or housing, a drive motor, and some orbiting mechanism in the housing, which is driven by the motor and carries with it a spool of tape to circulate around the wire harness. To allow entry and exit of the wiring harness into the central region of the machine, it was customary to provide one part of the machine with a permanently open mouth to the central region. An example of such a machine is the ISOTAP BABY 040, which is offered for sale by the Design Equipments Representation of France International (DERFI) of Cormeilles en Parisis, France. This machine can be hung on a rope or slidably mounted on rails for the necessary transverse movement along the wire harness.

While such wrapping devices may generally be sufficient, further improvements to the wrapping devices are required that would contribute to the ease, efficiency, and accuracy of the wrapping of wire bundles or other similar bundles.

When conducting circuitry, it is often necessary or desirable to connect many conductor wires to the same potential. This is often done by connecting these wires to a common connector or a common connector. The common connector may further comprise a plurality of terminals to which the individual conductor wires, which are thus terminated, are connected. Such connection of a plurality of terminated wires to a common connector is often accomplished when forming wire harnesses, such as wire harnesses for self-propelled vehicles.

‘The operation of connecting the terminated wires to the respective terminals of the common connector was often performed manually, especially when it was one of the wiring operations, especially using manual work. The manual connection of the terminated wires to the terminals of the common connector is proving strenuous for the operator, especially when a high contact force is required to connect the terminals. This can be further complicated by the fact that the positions of the terminals on the connector are close to each other so that the manual insertion of the terminal is prevented or complicated.

Some types of wire harness production processes hitherto known have used so-called stranding tables which are adapted to facilitate the formation of wire harness parts. These splicing tables usually contain different supports on them in a pattern that assists in forming the wire harness. These splicing tables are generally long, rigid and serve to create a workstation or station and can be located in different parts of the production area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which facilitates the assembly and handling of wire harnesses, particularly in forming assembly subassemblies in the production of wire harnesses.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that forms an effective combination with an improved overall wire harness system.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that facilitates the assembly and handling of wire bundles during forming operations.

-2GB 280497 B6

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These tasks are accomplished by a device for producing wire harnesses, each wire harness consisting of at least two conductors, consisting of a mechanized conveyor with an inlet and an outlet section and a plurality of workstations along it for sequentially forming the wire harnesses from seed to ready; fastened to it for further attachment and movement of the seed bundle according to the invention, further comprising means for at least some conductor preparation and supply stations, including terminated bundles for bundling, and a tray at least one side a conveyor along at least an inlet portion thereof, the seed bundle wires extending transversely across the conveyor and extending beyond its width into the trough.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bundle retaining means comprise at least one pair of fingers extending upwardly from the conveyor, wherein the fingers of the pair are spaced apart in the direction of travel of the conveyor.

According to another preferred embodiment, the conveyor is provided with at least two pairs of fingers which are spaced thereon in the direction of movement of the conveyor.

It is further preferred that the trough hangs from the conveyor at a distance greater than the width of the conveyor to accommodate a substantial portion of the wire harness.

It is also advantageous if the conveyor is provided with first and second troughs, the first trough being located at one side of the conveyor and the second trough at its other side, wherein in each trough a portion of the seed bundle of conductors is located.

According to another preferred embodiment, each of the pair of fingers is adapted to receive and carry the seed bundle and the seed bundle is disposed across the U-shaped conveyor such that the two U-shaped arms are attached by two pairs of fingers, the U-shaped base is located in one trough and ends U are located in the second trough.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the means for preparing and supplying the conductors comprises means for temporarily storing a plurality of conductors at different workstations, the conductors being pre-cut to different suitable lengths, each of the storage means comprising at least two troughs disposed on the trolley. functional types. It is advantageous here that most of the trucks are mobile. It is furthermore advantageous for the grooves to be U-shaped and open at the end to allow manual access for removing the conductors in the longitudinal direction of the groove.

Preferably, each groove comprises a base and a pair of opposing walls, the base connecting the side walls being straight to facilitate the distribution of the conductors in the groove. It is advantageous here that at least some of the carriages have horizontal racks on several floors, the respective troughs being arranged freely horizontally on these racks on different floors.

-3GB 280497 B6

It is also advantageous if the grooves are oriented vertically on at least a few carriages and the wires located in the grooves extend beyond the upper edge of the grooves and hang down from them to facilitate their manual removal.

The grooves are preferably provided with clamping means attached thereto near their upper end for releasably holding the conductors in the grooves in a position for easy manual access.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises one or more splicing tables at a respective workstation to facilitate the production of a multi-conductor subset of the harness for merging into a wiring harness at the respective workstation. In this case, it is preferred that one or more twisting tables are rotatably mounted to selectively move between the operating position and the rest position.

The splicing table preferably consists of a platform and at least two conductor support members mounted on the platform for accommodating and preparing the conductors of the multi-conductor sub-assemblies.

It is further preferred that the platform is horizontal and each of the support members protrudes upwardly therefrom and is bifurcated at its upper end for receiving the conductors. Finally, it is preferred that the conveyor is provided with a frame support structure and the splicing tables are rotatably attached thereto.

The advantage of the device according to the invention is that it facilitates the assembly and manipulation of the wire harnesses, especially in forming subassemblies in the production of wire harnesses, forms an effective combination with an improved overall wire harness production system and is a device which facilitates the assembly and handling of wire harnesses during operations. their formation.

Overview of the drawings

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the wire harness production apparatus of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wire harness production apparatus of FIG. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a carriage with U-shaped troughs for laying and supplying conductors used in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of two troughs connected by the hinge of Fig. 3; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the rotary splicing table; FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a terminal assembly tool used in the apparatus; For the production of the wire harnesses of FIG. 1, FIG. 8 is a plan view of the terminal assembly tool of FIG. Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of Fig. 8 showing the jig, terminated wires, and a common connector; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 11 shows the wrapping machine of Fig. 10 as seen from the inlet side, and Fig. 12 is a partial sectional view of a wrapping machine according to line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

-4GB 280497 B6

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 schematically shows a schematic view of a device 10 or a wire harness production system according to the invention. Typically, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 10 is situated on a common area, with at least a first area 11 for certain preparatory operations and a second area 12 in which the wire harness manufacturing operations are performed. It may also include a test area 13.

Preliminary preparatory operations carried out in the first region 11 include cutting or cutting and terminating the wires 4, whereby the wires 4 are cut or sheared to predetermined lengths, stripping and fitting and clamping with crimped terminals 6 at one or both ends of the wires 4 ,. All this is done on a conventional machine 14 which cuts the conductors 4, pulls off the insulation and fastens the terminals 6, for example of the Komax 40S type. The machinery 14 can prepare one or both ends of the conductor 4 to fit the terminal 6 or other termination without actually performing the termination, the operation of the cutting and terminating machinery 14 is controlled by the operator. These cutting and finishing operations can be performed in batches.

In the vicinity of the shearing and terminating machinery 14, an initial storage capacity is also provided for temporarily storing the wires 4 being cut. This storage is carried out by means of storage racks 18. The cut and terminated conductors 4 housed in rack 18 are housed in troughs 20, which will be described in more detail below. The cut and terminated conductors 4 are placed in the respective grooves 20 according to their length, standard and / or type of termination.

A mechanized conveyor system 22 is illustrated in the second region 12 of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 22. The conveyor system 22 consists of one or most of the driven conveyors 23 arranged in series or continuous form. More specifically, the conveyors 23 are arranged to form a continuous mechanized conveying line from the inlet end 25 to the outlet end 26. The conveyors 23 are of most conventional design, including a frame support structure 27, moving belts 28 and the like, and associated belt shifting motors 29. according to the required order. The motors 29 are typically controlled by a controller of known design, which is programmed to perform the desired control operations. These controls usually also have the ability to switch to manual operation when needed.

Many local workstations are situated along the conveyor 23 of the conveying system 22. Since the wire harness generating apparatus 10 described in principle relies on a plurality of workers cooperating with different types of tools and machines along the conveyor system 22, these workstations 15 or stations, in the present case, will be referred to by the same symbols or reference numerals indicating the worker. However, it is clear that the work station 15 may also be represented in certain limited examples by a machine capable of automatic operation and / or a manually operated machine to which the worker moves from another work station 15.

-5GB 280497 B6

At each workstation 15, different types and capabilities of wire harnesses are provided depending on whether they are to perform one or more functions.

Such equipment or accessories include machines 30 for picking up and crimping terminals 6, carts 32 that carry a plurality of grooves 20, which in turn comprise respective cut and terminated conductors 4, fixed work tables, so-called splicing tables 36, which are rotatable, one or more wrapping machines 38 and various cartridges 40 containing respective parts to be part of the wire harness at this location. Also, certain types of mounting tools, such as the tool 42 for mounting the terminals 6, may also be located at the work stations 15 on the respective work table 34.

In this connection, it is to be noted that the arrangement of workstations 15 along the conveyor system 22 and the work operations performed therein are designed to minimize or eliminate the need for a worker to move at workstation 15 more than a step or two. In many cases, the worker can sit at the workplace. Of course, in some cases, it is necessary for a worker to take one or two steps to perform a particular operation, but this movement is generally completely restricted. This characteristic is given because most of the equipment required at the work station 15 is disposed close to the work station 15 on one or both sides of the conveyor 23 and beyond, since the conveyor belt 28 is only moved periodically to move the product in the process from one job 15 to another.

The production of wire harnesses 8 at each work station 15 takes place, generally, at rest. For this reason, it should be noted that the spacing between successive workstations 15 along the conveyor 23 is substantially the same in all cases. It is clear, however, that at these spacing, certain changes may be made to accommodate the work of two workers, at one or two workstations 15, performing operations on the same harness 8, but at the opposite ends thereof. In the illustrated system, the spacing between work stations 15 is approximately 2 to 3 meters, the number of work stations 15 is in the range of 8 to 12, and the conveyor belt 28 is shifted from one work station 15 to another at intervals of several minutes.

It goes without saying that optimum efficiency is achieved when each worker ends the assigned operations at the respective work station 15 immediately before the conveyor belt 28 is moved. This, however, requires careful balancing of the amount and types of operations performed at the work station 15, as well as consideration of the capabilities of the individual worker placed there. Since many of the attachments of the workstations 15 are mobile or relatively light, they can easily move from one workstation 15 to the other while operating the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 10.

However, it is the aforementioned flexibility of the wire harness apparatus 10 described above that allows its use for the economical production of wire harnesses 8 of different sizes and configurations at different times. Although the described device 10 relies essentially on an acceptably cheap labor, it reduces the large capital costs and inflexibility of the more automated system.

-6GB 280497 B6

Furthermore, the work program and equipment used guarantee the required economy and flexibility.

In FIG. 1, the wiring harness 8 in its complete embodiment is shown at or near the outlet end 26 of the conveyor 23. The path of the wire harness 8 begins at the inlet end 25 of the conveyor 23, where its earliest embryonic form is referred to as the wire harness 8a. The wire harness 8 gradually takes its final shape with every detail at successive workstations and is therefore gradually identified by the additional letters of the alphabet attached to the reference numeral 8. In addition, the representation of the wire harness production apparatus 10 in Fig. 1 shows the conveyor 23 just before before moving from one work station 15 to another. Thus, at each work station 15, the harness 8 is shown in a situation representing completion of the work carried out at that work station 15.

When the finished conductor bundle 8 arrives at the outlet end 26 of the conveyor 23, the operator takes it off the conveyor 23 and transfers it to a suitable test table 43 in the test area 13, where it is subjected to electrical accuracy and integrity testing. In the illustrated embodiment, the finished wire harness 8 is synonymous with unused marking 81.

The finished wire harness 8 often contains 200 to 300 X wires and can be more than 2 meters long. The bundle 8 usually consists of a plurality of different arms or branches, each consisting of a different number of conductors 4. These branches are usually physically, if not also electrically, concentrated in the common area represented by the junction box 44 through which most circuits pass. The junction box 44 may sometimes also be referred to as the bundle head 8. The junction box 44 may also be referred to as a "

Still further, many of the branches are finished wire harnesses terminated at their opposite ends by a respective multiple terminal connector 46 of various types and designs. It will be appreciated that the seed bundle 8a has a junction box 44 and relatively few conductors 4a are therefore relatively flexible, deformable and lightweight. On the other hand, as its formation progresses, it becomes heavier and relatively less flexible.

In FIG. 1 and in addition, FIG. 2 shows that the conveyor system 22 is provided with at least a primary trough 50 and, in addition, a secondary trough 52 on opposite sides of the conveyor 23 along its inlet portion 25 in which a bundle 8a, 8b, 8c is formed. etc. of conductors. The troughs 50, 52 are located along the inlet portion 25 of the conveyor 23 to allow the embryonic bundle 8a, 8b, etc. to be placed across the U-shaped or curved conveyor belt 28 in which portions of the bundle 8a, 8b etc. extend beyond the sides of the conveyor 23 to It has been found that it is best to arrange the first two or three workstations 15 on one side of the conveyor 23 and to adjust the primary trough 50 along that side.

The primary trough 50 is generally U-shaped in cross section and may generally extend 1.5 to 1.66 meters below the surface of the conveyor belt 28. The primary trough 50 is wide enough to accommodate the large junction box 44 that rests there as shown in FIG. 2. The trough 50 is further wide and smooth enough to facilitate sliding of the seed bundle 8a, 8b and the associated junction box.

In this case, the conveyor belt 28 is displaced. The depth of the primary trough 50 is sufficiently shallow so that the various portions of the seed bundle 8a, 8b and / or the components to be attached to the bundle may lie at the bottom of the trough 50 and are thus within the operator's reach.

Furthermore, the vertical walls within the trays 50 and 52, especially the walls at the conveyor 23, are relatively smooth and expediently continuous to prevent the support structure 27 of the conveyor 23 from contacting the seed bundle 8a and the junction box 44 when the conveyor belt 28 is moved. to prevent friction of the bundle 8a against the troughs 50, 52.

The secondary trough 50 on the opposite side of the conveyor 23 is not as necessary as the primary trough and serves to facilitate the smooth advancement of the seed bundle 8a, 8b as it moves along the conveyor 23. The trough 52 further serves to retain some components that may accidentally release from the bundle. Because it has been determined that the larger germline elements 8a of the conductor bundle 8a, such as the junction box 44, will be guided in the trough 50, the secondary trough 52 need not be as wide as the primary trough 50.

The troughs 50 and 52 may be formed of any suitable material, such as sheet metal, plastic or glass fibers, which is formed into a suitable shape. The trays 50 and 52 are attached to the frame support structure 27 in a suitable manner, for example by screws, bolts and / or supports, so that they are held at the smooth transition of the seed bundle 8a, 8b from the conveyor belt 28 to and outside the trays 50, 52. in fact, the troughs 50, 52 may be provided with curved edges at the uppermost ends to prevent friction and cutting of the bundles 8a, 8b and / or workers.

Regarding the beginning of formation of the wiring harness 8a, the junction box 44 is removed from the magazine 40 on the inlet side 25 of the conveyor 23. Different wires 4 are removed from the various grooves 20 on the carriage 32, the carriage 32 being also located at the inlet end 25 of the conveyor 23. The conductors 4 are then connected to the junction box 44 by the first operator to form the seed bundle 8a. It will be appreciated that the additional operations on the wiring harness 8a at the work station 15 may include attaching the additional terminals 6 to one or more wires 4 by means of a machine 30 that engages and grips the terminal 6. One or more containers 40 at the inlet end 25 of the conveyor 23 may include various types of terminal connectors 46 for connection to terminals 6 at opposite ends of some wires 4 connected to the junction box 44.

Since the seed bundles 8a, 8b can be arranged across the conveyor belt 28 and thus compressed in the longitudinal direction, the entire length of the bundle 8a is conveniently within the reach of one worker at the respective work site 15. One worker can thus perform working operations over the entire length of the seed bundle 8a In addition, the longitudinal extent of the conveyor belt 28, which occupies the seed bundle 8a, 8b, etc., is considerably smaller than will be required at other stages distant towards the outlet end 26.

Since portions of the seed bundles 8a, 8b, etc. are located across the conveyor belt 28, it has been suggested to provide the surface of the conveyor belt 28 with bundle retaining members 8a to assist in determining its position during working operations and further

280497 B6 as it moves with the conveyor belt 28 as it is displaced. These gripping elements may be in the form of a pair of fingers 54 clearly shown in FIG. 2. Each pair of fingers 54 is secured at its base to the conveyor belt 28 by a suitable fastening means and / or mechanical clamp, the fingers 54 being spaced apart from each other. direction of movement of the conveyor belt 28.

In this way, a portion of the bundle 8a positioned across the conveyor belt 28 is inserted between the retaining fingers 54. Each pair of fingers 54 may be made of rubber or the like and the dimensions and construction of the fingers 54 are such that the bundle 8a resiliently grips between them. The spacing between the individual pairs of fingers 54 may be more or less about 0.5 meters. Since the essential advantage of the described pairs of fingers 54 is for the seed bundle phase 8a, 8b, 8c, etc., they need no longer be provided on the conveyor belt 28 towards the outlet end 26 when the conveyor system 22 is formed by multiple separate conveyors 23 with respective conveyor belts 28 , which is a typical case.

Next, attention will be paid to the construction and function of the grooves 20 and the stands or trolleys 32 on which the grooves 20 are mounted, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. Each groove 20 has cut conductors 4 of different types and lengths housed therein. Thereby, the conductors 4 of different types do not mix in one groove 20. The grooves 20 are U-shaped, elongated and open at least at one end, preferably at both ends. The grooves 20 may be of different lengths, depending essentially on the length of the conductors 4 to be accommodated therein, with most of the length ranges between 1 and 2 meters, although they may be shorter or longer.

While the classic rounded U-shape of continuous curvature is a suitable contour for the cross-section of grooves 20, as shown in Figure 3 on the example of groove 20a, it has been found advantageous to use a modified U-shape with flattened bottom and substantially vertical walls. The grooves 20 are shown in various figures.

This U-shaped configuration with a straight bottom appears more suitable for a more even distribution of the wires 4 disposed therein and reduces the occurrence of entanglement that could cause difficulties in removing the individual wires 4 from the groove 20. The rounded cross-section of groove 20a leads to more wires 4 in the center the groove 20a and so sometimes also contributes to their entanglement. The grooves 20 are made of any suitable, relatively rigid and durable material, such as metal, plastic or glass fibers.

When the conductors 4 in one groove 20 are terminated at only one end, it is this terminated end which is turned towards the operator when the groove 20 is carried in a position on the carriage 32 near the respective work station 15. It should be noted that the supported grooves 20 they may be located on one or both sides of the conveyor system 22 relative to the location of the operator who will pull the wires 4 from these grooves 20. The most common arrangement that allows a worker's easiest access to a relatively large number of troughs 20 is one in which the carriage 32 carrying these troughs 20 is positioned opposite the worker behind the conveyor 23, as seen particularly in Figures 2 and 6.

-9EN 280497 B6

In some cases in which the length of the conductor 4 is unusually long and greatly exceeds the length of the individual grooves 20, a pair of these grooves 20 may be connected at their respective front ends by a suitable connector, such as a hinge 55, to form double grooves 20. In this case, one portion of each long conductor 4 is housed in one and the remaining portion in the other grooves 20, with the transition of the conductors 4 between the grooves 20 just beyond the front ends of the grooves 20 in the hinge region 55 so that the operator can easily pull them out. The coupling hinge 55 is a conventional means for joining two grooves 20 forming a combined double groove 20 for ease of handling during loading and transport.

Stands or trolleys 32 on which various grooves 20 are supported can have a simple shape and unpretentious construction. In a few cases, the stands 32 may be permanently stationary and thus have no need to move. However, in most cases, it has been found that the stands or carriages 32 need to be mobile and therefore rollers or wheels 56 are provided on the crossbars 57 at the base of the carriage 32. In some cases, it may be required to reduce or cancel the crossbars 57 and wheels 56 making them adjustable by means of struts 59 in the manner shown by the broken line in Fig. 3.

The troughs 20 simply rest on the cross arms 58 or trays that form part of the rigid frame structure of the carriage 32. The flat trough base 20 may simply rest on the flat surface of the horizontal cross arm 58. In the case of a curved U-shaped troughs 20a When used, it may be desirable to provide curved recesses on or in the transverse arms 58 to accommodate the curved base of these grooves 20a, or alternatively, curved brackets may be attached to the transverse arms 58.

To provide adequate support for the trough 20, it is only necessary to have a pair of transverse arms 58 positioned at the front and rear of the trolley 32 so that they then support the trough 20. More transverse troughs 20 may be supported on each transverse arm. transverse arms 58 on several levels for receiving the grooves 20 at these different heights.

Although the carts 32 described are provided with a horizontal adjustment of the attached grooves 20, the cart 32 is constructed such that the grooves 20 are mounted thereon in an almost vertical position as shown in Figure 5. These racks or carts 32 may have a somewhat simpler construction than The carriages 32, and because they have a vertical channel pattern 20, can occupy relatively less floor space. On the other hand, in this vertical orientation, however, it is generally preferred to have only one row of grooves 20, and their length will be limited to the appropriate height of the worker.

It has been found that at least those grooves 20 which are intended for vertical orientation, it is desirable to attach flexible clips 60 to hold the front or top ends of the conductors 4 in a position readily accessible to the operator.

More specifically, the resilient clamps 60 may be mounted on the bottom surfaces of the trays 20 at or at the front, top, or outlet end to receive a bundle of wires 6 that hang over this end of the trays 20. In this way, the wires 4 are secured from falling.

Down into the groove 20 when it is in the vertical position and the ends are usually ready for easy removal.

During the formation of the wire harness 8, it is sometimes necessary or desirable to provide an additional work surface to connect the wires 4 to the connectors 46 to form the various subassemblies and to facilitate assembly of these subassemblies into the main harness 8 present on the conveyor belt 28 at the work station 15. in some cases, such work may be performed on simple fixed workbenches 34 when positioned sufficiently close to the worker 15. An additional work surface may also be formed by the splicing tables 36 and 36. ' ·

Each loom table 36, 36 contains ^one more plant 62 carrying four wires or bundles 8 mounted on its upper surface in a predetermined pattern for aiding in the formation of the beam 8, or preferably a subassembly or branch, which is to become part of the main beam 8 ,. The jigs 62 typically consist of a base 63 that is attached to the splicing table 36 or 36. ' ^and a vertical support 64 extending upwardly from the base 63 and bifurcating at its upper end into a pair of support tines 65 for the wire harness.

The arrangement of the fixtures 62 on the twisting tables 36, 36 * is such as to determine the multiple insertion of the conductors 4 and the winding branches during the formation of the bundle 8 or its subgroups. The splicing tables 36 ¹ are usually on wheels to allow their position in the area of the conveyor 23. In the schematic representation of Figure 1, the movable splicing tables 36 ¹ are positioned sufficiently close to the conveyor 23 so that the worker has to perform relatively few steps to move the bundle 8. or a subgroup thereof between the conveyor 23 and the respective splicing table 36 '.

On the other hand, it should be noted that the roller table 36 'is capable of general movement in the area of the work station 15 and can in fact be positioned such that the work station 15 - the worker is positioned between the table 36' and the conveyor 23.

On the other hand, the splicing table 36 may even be closer to the conveyor 23 and is capable of some limited displacement by the operator, such as rotation, between the working position and the rest position, as shown in Figures 1 and 6 for the wire harness 8f. In Fig. 6, the splicing table 36 is shown in solid lines in its rest position and in dashed position in its operating position. In this case, the working position of the twist table 36 is closely adjacent and parallel to the conveyor 23, the rest position being reached when the table 36 rotates approximately 90 ° from the conveyor 23 about a pivot axis 66 that is distant from the operator and generally near the conveyor 23 .

In its working position, the splicing table 36 is positioned for easier access by a worker 15 to perform various working operations on the bundle 8 or its subgroups as needed. On the other hand, when this work is completed, the bundle 8 or its subset is usually removed from the splicing table 36 and placed on the conveyor belt 28, and the splicing table 36 is rotated to its rest position, giving the worker more space to carry out additional work. work operations at this own job.

-11EN 280497 B6

It has been found that it is particularly advantageous to attach the splicing table 36 to the frame support structure 27 of the conveyor 23 for rotational movement about the axis of rotation 66. More specifically, a hinge 68 may be mounted on the frame support structure 27, into which a hinge pin 69 extends from the underside of the splicing table 36 from above, forming a pivot axis 66 in the hinge 68.

It may also be necessary to provide some form of locking or grip or stop at the pin 69 and hinge 68 to hold the table 36 in a selected position about the pivot axis 66. One relatively simple embodiment of the stop is to provide a pin or latch projecting radially from the hinge pin 69 near its upper end of the hinge 68 to form a stop recess for the pin 69 in the desired rotated position.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, further attention is also paid to the mounting tool 42, the terminal mounting tool 42. Tool 42 is designed to easily and accurately achieve the connection of a plurality of terminated wires 4 to a common connector 70. A common connector 70 is used to connect the plurality of wires 4 to a common electrical potential, such as B + or ground in the electrical system of vehicles drive. In fact, the current carrying capacity of the conductors 4 that are connected to the common connector 70 is usually greater than that of many other conductors 4 in the harness 8.

The terminals 6 at the ends of the respective conductors 4 are of the plug-type type and are adapted to insert the plug terminals 71 of the connector 70 ,. The common connector 70 in the illustrated embodiment includes three such plug terminals 71 protruding forward from the common base 72 in a substantially coplanar parallel relationship. From each end of the common base 72 of the connector 70, the lateral or end fingers 73 protrude forward.

In the illustrated connector 70, each male terminal 71 extends from a common base 72, the end fingers 73 being formed by a respective 90 ° bend of the edges of the base 72 and thus positioned in planes perpendicular to the plane of the base 72 from which the male terminals protrude. 71. The end fingers 73 may themselves be subsequently placed in electrical connection with other conductive members.

The terminal assembly tool 42 assists the precise positioning of the terminals 6 relative to the plug terminals 71 of the common connector 70 and further contributes not only to the easy connection of these elements but also to the removal of the connected terminals 6 and 71 from the tool 42. Tool 42 consists of first and second jigs 75 and 77. The first jig 75 is designed to accommodate the terminated ends of a plurality of conductors 4. The second jig 77 is designed to receive a common connector connector 70 oriented in a substantially horizontal position.

The jigs 75 and 77 are secured to the base 78 in a manner allowing one of the jigs 75, 77 to move towards and away from the other jig 75, 77 between a relatively near position and a relatively distant position corresponding to the joined position and the insertion / removal position. In this embodiment, it remains first

The fixture 75 is stationary and the second fixture 77 has the ability to move linearly across the base 78.

A pneumatic actuator 80, such as a piston with a cylinder, is coupled to the base 78 and the second jig 77 to act and control the displacement of the second jig 77 relative to the first jig 75. The piston rod 81 of the drive 80 is connected to the second jig 77 directly by welding, screw connection and the like to directly control the second jig 77. The drive cylinder 80 is rigidly mounted on the second jig 77, thereby providing considerable lateral stability. However, the degree of this lateral stability of the second jig 77 must be further ensured by providing a groove as a guide in the base 78 to ensure alignment of the second jig 77 with the first jig 75.

At the front end of the second jig 77 is provided a cavity 82 that is open in the forward and upward directions. The cavity 82 is adapted to locate the common connector 70 from above and is open at its front end to allow connection with the terminals 6 carried in the first jig 75. In the common connector 70 positioned parallel there is a clearance below the lower surfaces of the male connectors 71 sufficient allowing them to be inserted into the female terminals 6.

The first jig 75 comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves 83 in its upper surface for receiving the respective conductors 4. More specifically, the grooves 83 have side walls which are undercut at their front ends to form the seats 85 for the terminals 6. The undercut of the walls 84 is such that the seats 85 comprise the terminals 6 which, when inserted therein, are guided vertically. 8 and 9, respectively.

7 and 9, the second jig 77 is shown in its insertion / removal position away from the first jig 75. The terminal 6 of the terminated wire 4 is inserted into the jig 75 so that it extends over its front end, then moves the terminal 6 s conductor 4 down until the terminal 6 is at the seat 85. Backward pulling of conductor 4 will then seat the terminal 6 in the seat 85. The same procedure is repeated for the other two terminated conductors (not shown) relative to the other two grooves 83 in the first jig 75.

Similarly, the common connector 70 is placed in the fixture 70 by insertion into the cavity 82. The rear and side walls of the second fixture 77 defining the cavity 82 are sized and arranged to determine the position of the common connector 70 such that its plug terminals 71 are still The actuation of the second jig 77 by the drive 80 serves to engage the plug terminals 71 into engagement with the plug terminals 6, thereby completing the connection.

At the front end of the second jig 77, retaining elements 86 are formed by a pair of short protrusions facing transversely to form a partial closure to the front end of the cavity 82. More specifically, the retaining elements 86 extend across the front ends of the end fingers 73 of the common connector 70. 6 and their wires 4 to the common connector 70, the drive 80 pulls the piston rod 81, thereby moving the second jig 77 back into the insertion / removal position. During this movement, the retaining elements 86 carry on

-13GB 280497 B6 fixture 77 end fingers 73 as well as the common connector 20 at the rear. This backward movement of the common connector 70 will pull out the female terminals 6 from their seated position in the first jig 75, thereby facilitating removal of the connected wires 4 and connector 70 from the tool 42 by simply lifting up several wires 4 simultaneously to remove the connector 70 from the cavity. 82.

At various stages in the formation of the wiring harness 8, it is desirable and necessary to collect and tie certain wires 4 to form branches in the harness 8. As shown in FIG. In some cases, these branches will be terminated in connectors or other types of electrical terminals. Binding or wrapping with an adhesive tape in a helical pattern around the collection of wires 4 has usually been used to tie the strands of the wire harness 8 to form a branch.

In some cases, the tape was wound all over by hand, but in other cases a mechanized device was used. In the present system or apparatus 10, there is illustrated an improved wrapping apparatus located at a work station comprising a wrapping machine 38 having a wire harness 8i disposed therein. The wrapping machine 38 and the wrapping device of which the machine 38 is a part are improved as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12.

FIG. 10 shows a wrapping machine 38 mounted for moving along a pair of rails 87, which in turn are attached to the platform 88. The platform 88 is pivotally attached to the frame support structure 27 of the conveyor 23 in the same manner as the rotary twist tables 36, i. by means of a hinge 68 and a hinge pin 69 as previously described. The work platform 88 may be long and narrow and made of a rigid material such as metal, wood or plastic. Attached to one end of the platform 88 is a double-fingered support 65 of the same type as the splicing table 36. Relatively close to the other end of the working platform 88 is a clamping mechanism 89 for clamping or clamping the wire harness 4.

The clamping mechanism 89 is rigidly mounted to the platform 88 and is directed upwardly, and is intended to releasably clamp the bundle of wires 8 that form the bundle branch 8i to allow use of the force to tension the bundle branch 8i during its wrapping. The clamping mechanism 89 may be of any suitable design and typically comprises a pair of jaws 90a, 90b, one or both of which are vertically movable between the clamping and release positions by the hand lever 91.

Typically, the lower jaw 90a is fixed and the higher jaw 90b is movable vertically by the operating lever 91 in a vertical plane about the horizontal axis of rotation. The control arm 91 can be pivoted down from its release position shown in Fig. 10 to a certain eccentric locked position in which the jaws 90a and 90b firmly grip the bundle branch 8i between them. The jaws 90a, 90b may have a concave outline of generally circular shape along the beam branch 8i. Furthermore, a spring or other resilient element may be attached to one or both of the jaws 90a, 90b so that the branches of the bundle 8i of different diameters are elastically clamped.

The platform 88 serves as a mounting frame for the parallel rails 87, which in turn slidably support the wrapping machine 38 on the sliding support 92, which slides on the rails 87 between a pair

280497 B6 Adjustable stoppers 93 located at opposite ends of the rails 87. The stoppers 93 can be located on only one of the rails 82 and are manually adjustable by screws with tightened fingers.

Referring to FIG. 11, the wrapping machine 38 is shown in enlarged detail. Generally speaking, the wrapping machine 38 comprises a two-part housing 94, an orbital disc or plate 95, a tape supplying device such as a wound tape spool 97 mounted on the orbital plate 95. spindles 98.

The orbiting plate 95 is driven by a motor 96 through a pinion 100 that engages a helical rim 99 at the face of the plate 95. The orbiting plate 95 has a circular central bore 102 through which a branch of the wire bundle 8i to be wound during winding operation. . The plate 95 may be of a suitable material such as a metal, plastic or composition.

Although the circulating plate 95 could be made without an opening, it should be appreciated that the bundle branch 8i to be bound should be able to be inserted and ejected axially through the central opening 102. However, this can be difficult and limits the size of the connectors. that can be pre-attached to the end of this branch. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 11, the cover 94 and the orbital plate 95 are made in two pieces, and the cover 94 is provided with a hinge that allows both pieces to open and to form an orifice 104 which may be removed without axial movement.

front end

8i inserted into

In the illustrated embodiment, both the lower portion of the housing 94 and the circulating plates 95 are angularly coextensive and have an angular range of less than 180 °, while their respective upper portions have an angular range of greater than 180 °. The lower portion of the housing 94 is connected to the upper portion by the hinge mechanism 106. This hinge mechanism 106 is in turn connected to the pneumatic actuator 108 by means of a link 109. The actuator 108 serves to move the lower portion of the housing 94 up and down between the closed and open positions.

12, the cover 94 has the shape of a raceway of the circulating plate 95 circulating therein. The outer circumference of the two-piece is narrow enough to be housed in the housing 94, wide to accommodate several radial circuits for 110. Ball Bearings

As best seen in C in cross-section for a two-piece covering, the circulating plates 95, but also sufficient recessed grooves on the periphery for mounting several respective ball bearings 110. The ball bearings 110 are mounted in the desired position on the respective pins 112 which are mounted in the plate 95 in the axial direction. The ball bearings 110 provide a basic abutment contact between the housing 94 and the race plate 95.

Further, to hold each circulating plate 95 tightly in a respective part of the housing 94, when the cover 94 is opened, notches 116 are formed on the opposite side walls of the circulating plate 95 into which retaining pins 114 mounted on opposite side walls of the cover 94. 11, bridges the two portions of the housing 94 to a connecting bracket 118 that is provided with a slot wedge groove 119 in which a wedge (not shown) is slidably connected to one of the housing portions 94 for guiding relative opening and closing movements between the two portions.

-15GB 280497 B6

Of course, although the orbital plate 95 is formed from two complementary portions, the portion that is driven by the pinion 100 at any time serves to drive or push the second portion of the plate 95 that follows it. The pinion 100 drives both halves of the circulating plate 95 through both contact surfaces between them. When both halves of the housing 94 are closed as shown in dashed lines in Fig. 11, a pinion 100 is driven by the motor 96, which in turn drives the orbital plate 95 to orbitally move the tape spool 97 around the wire harness branch 8i located in the central opening 102. After the first attachment of the adhesive surface of the tape to the strand of the wire harness, the orbital movement of the ribbon reel 97 causes it to wrap around the strand.

To ensure that during operation of the wrapping machine 38 the cover 94 remains closed, a clamping hinge is provided on the cover 94 such that a drawer clamping member 120 is fastened on one edge of the cover 94 and a locking pin 121 operated by a pneumatic actuator 122 mounted on the other. The actuator 122 controls the movement of the locking pin 121 into and out of the receptacle clamp member 120.

For the wrapping machine 38 to work properly, it is important that both parts of the circulating plate 95 stop at positions that are identical to the two halves of the cover 94 when the wrapping machine 38 is to be opened. Thereafter, it is ensured that the opening of the mouth 104 is relatively wide and further that there is little or no likelihood that portions of the circulating plate 95 will detach from the respective portions of the housing 94. To achieve this, provision has been made to sense the angular rotation of the circulating plate 95. and to stop rotation of the plate 95 at exactly the right angle.

The rotation angle sensing is accomplished by an inductive sensor 124 mounted on the housing 94, which senses the respective angular position at the periphery of the circulating plate 95. This position can be detected by attaching a piece of metal 125 to a portion of the circulating plate 95 for appropriate electromagnetic interaction with the sensor 124 in a known manner. This type of sensing is particularly useful when using a plate 95 made of a non-magnetic material.

In combination with the sensors 124, a pneumatic cylinder 126 located on the top of the housing 94 operates. The cylinder 126 exerts a braking / locking force on the top of the circulating plate 95 to stop and lock it at the correct angular position removed by the sensor 124. a locking member in and out of the braking and / or locking engagement with the circulating plate 95.

The motor 96 and the actuators 108, 122 and 126 are preferably pneumatically driven and controlled by an electrical program control performed by an OMRON C28K controller (not shown) in a manner consistent with the present disclosure. The inputs for this control are the START / STOP and OPEN / CLOSE control buttons (not shown) operated by the operator, plus an electrical input from the inductive sensor 124.

By pressing the OPEN / CLOSE control buttons appropriately, the wrapping machine 38 is opened or closed by the drive 108 and the locking or releasing of the locking device is achieved.

Similarly, by appropriately pressing the START button, the orbital motion of the spool 97 with the tape winds onto the wire harness branch and by pressing the STOP button, the sensor 124, the motor 96 and the cylinder 126 reach a stop the circulating plates 95 in the correct position.

In order to achieve the wrapping of the wiring harness branch 8i, the working platform 88 is usually rotated to a position near the conveyor belt 28 and one of the branches to be wound is clamped into the clamping mechanism 89 ,. Then, the bundle branch 8i is moved through the open mouth 104 of the wrapping machine 38 into the central opening 102 and the other end of the branch can then rest against the bifurcated support fingers 65. The operator will manually tension the bundle branch 8i against the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 89. The wrapping machine 38 is then closed, the tape is introduced into the bundle branch 8i, and the motor 96 is actuated to start the wrapping operation. The wrapping machine 38 moves the rails 87 manually from one stop 93 to move the rails 87 from one stop 93 to the other manually to perform the tape wrapping operation. Upon reaching the second stop 93, the operator presses the STOP button, then cuts off the tape, for example with a knife, and opens the wrapping machine 38 to allow the bundle branch to be removed and returned to the conveyor belt 28.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in one exemplary embodiment, it is easy for one skilled in the art to make various variations and the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims (18)

PATENT CLAIMS An apparatus for producing wire harnesses, each wire harness comprising at least two conductors, consisting of a mechanized conveyor (23) with an inlet and an outlet part (25, 26) and a plurality of workstations (15) along it for sequentially forming the bunches (8) ) from the seed to the finished state, the conveyor (23) comprising means mounted thereon for further attachment and movement of the seed bundle (8a), further comprising means for preparing and supplying the conductors (4) at least some workplaces (15), including terminated wires (4) for merging into bundles (8) and from a trough (50) at at least one side of the conveyor (23) along at least its inlet portion (25), wherein the embryonic wires (4) The bundle (8a) is mounted transversely across the conveyor (23) and extends beyond its width into the trough (50). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means of the bundle (8a) consist of at least one pair of fingers (54) extending upwardly from the conveyor (23), the pair of fingers (54) being spaced apart in the direction of movement a conveyor (23). Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the conveyor (23) is provided with at least two pairs of fingers (54) disposed thereon at a distance in the direction of movement of the conveyor (23). -17GB 280497 B6 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the trough (50) hangs from the conveyor (23) at a distance greater than the width of the conveyor (23) to accommodate a substantial part of the wire harness (8a). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor (23) is provided with first and second troughs (50, 52), the first trough (50) being located at one side of the conveyor (23) and the second trough (52) at the a part of the seed bundle (8a) of the conductors (4) is arranged in each trough (50, 52). Device according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that each of the pair of fingers (54) is adapted to receive and carry the seed bundle (8a) and the seed bundle (8a) is disposed across the U-shaped conveyor (23), wherein both U-shaped arms are held by two pairs of fingers (54), the U-shaped base is located in one trough (52) and the U-shaped ends are located in the other trough (50). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for preparing and supplying the conductors (4) consists of means for temporarily storing a plurality of conductors (4) at different workstations (15), the conductors (4) being pre-cut to different of suitable length, each of the storage means comprising at least two grooves (20) disposed on the carriage (32, 32 '), the conductors (4) being of different functional types. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that most of the carriages (32, 32 ') are mobile. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the grooves (20) are U-shaped and are open at the end to allow manual access for removing the conductors (4) in the longitudinal direction of the groove (20). Device according to claim 9, characterized in that each trough (20) comprises a base and a pair of opposing walls, the base connecting the side walls being straight to facilitate the distribution of the conductors (4) in the trough (20). Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that at least some of the carriages (32) have horizontal racks on several floors, the respective troughs (20) being positioned freely horizontally on these racks on different floors. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the grooves (20) are oriented vertically on at least several carriages (32 ') and the conductors (4) located in the grooves (20) extend beyond and hang from the upper edge of the grooves (20). down to facilitate manual removal. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the grooves (20) are provided with clamping means (60) attached thereto near their upper end for releasably holding the conductors (4) in the grooves (20) in a position for easy manual access. -18GB 280497 B6 Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises one or more splicing tables (36, 36 ') at a respective workstation (15) to facilitate the production of a multi-conductor subgroup of the bundle (8) for merging into the conductor bundle (8). ) at the relevant post (15). The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more splicing tables (36, 36 ') are rotatably mounted to selectively move between the operating position and the rest position. Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the splicing table (36) comprises a platform and at least two support members (64) for conductors (4) mounted on the platform, for accommodating and preparing conductors (4) of multi-conductor sub-assemblies. Apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the platform is horizontal and each of the support members (64) protrudes upwards and is bifurcated at its upper end for receiving the conductors (4). Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the conveyor (23) is provided with a frame support structure (27) and the splicing tables (36) are rotatably attached thereto.