DE102016109464B4 - Optical assembly display for cable harnesses - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical assembly display device (100) for assembling cable harnesses (302) with components (104, 304), the optical assembly display device (100) comprising: - an assembly unit (102) for receiving a component (104, 304), - a light source (106) as part of the assembly unit (102), the light source (106) being arranged such that it indicates where a contact of the cable harness (302) can be attached to the component (104, 304), and the contact of the cable harness (302) being an end of a cable (112) of the cable harness (302) equipped with a plug contact (110), the assembly unit (102) comprising a receiving unit (604) which receives signals according to which the light source (106) is controlled, a transmitting unit (606) of the optical assembly display device (100) emits a unique code so that the optical assembly display device (100) can be triangulated, and on the basis of which the receiving unit (604) receives the signals according to which the light source (106) is controlled, and wherein the receiving unit (604) has a request unit (114) to request the signals for controlling the light source (106).

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to the manufacture of cable harnesses, for example in automobile construction. The invention relates in particular to facilitating the assembly of cable harnesses by means of an optical assembly display device, an optical laying display device and a method for manufacturing cable harnesses.

State of the art

Cable harnesses are essential components of all types of electrical systems. In particular, cable harnesses in vehicles are used to enable a decentralized power supply and distribution of control signals throughout the vehicle. Due to the large number of vehicle variants - even within the same series - cable harnesses are now mostly manufactured individually for each vehicle.

For this purpose, assembly boards are regularly used on which laying elements such as forks, deflection bolts, spacers or construction test fixtures are mounted. Since different cable harnesses can be produced on an assembly board by using different laying elements, the production employee reads from a plan which laying element is to be used for which cable harness. The same applies to equipping empty connector housings with contact pins or sockets that are mounted on the ends of cables in the cable harness. The production employee must look in the plan section belonging to the respective cable harness to see how, for example, a connector housing is to be equipped with the contact pins or sockets. With cable harnesses already being comparatively expensive to manufacture, expensive and occasionally irreparable errors can occur when equipping the cable harness with components - such as connectors.

The US 3 706 134 A discloses an optical aid. JP H08- 31 289 B2 discloses an electrical wiring harness. US 4 951 385 A discloses an electrical wiring harness assembly device.

The object of this invention is therefore to present devices that enable improved, lighter, more elegant and more cost-effective production of cable harnesses.

Brief description of the invention

The above-mentioned object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the following description and the figures.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an optical assembly display device is presented. It can be used for equipping cable harnesses with components. The optical assembly display has an assembly unit and a light source - in particular at least one light source. The assembly unit serves to accommodate a component, e.g. a plug. The light source is part of the assembly unit and is arranged in such a way that it shows where a contact of the cable harness is to be mounted on the component. The contact of the cable harness is typically an end of a cable of the cable harness equipped with a plug contact.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an optical laying indicator device is presented. The laying indicator device is also suitable for the manufacture of cable harnesses. It has an assembly element consisting of a base and a laying element on the base for receiving cables. The base element has a light source that signals whether a cable should be inserted or laid in the laying element.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing cable harnesses is presented. The method comprises receiving data for controlling the light source of the optical installation display device depending on a position of the assembly board within the workshop and laying cables taking into account signals from the light source of the optical installation display device. In addition, the method comprises receiving data for controlling the light source of the optical assembly display device depending on a position of the assembly board within the workshop and equipping the cable harness with components with the aid of signals from the light source of the optical assembly display device.

Detailed description of the invention

• Der Begriff „Kabelbaum“ beschreibt eine Bündelung von einzelnen Leitungen, die Signale (Informationsübertragung) oder Arbeitsströme (Energie) übertragen. Die Kabel werden in einem Kabelstrang, z.B. durch Schellen, Kabelbinder, Bindegarn, Klebebänder oder Schläuche zusammengefasst.

The following terms and expressions are used in this document:

• The term “cable harness” describes a bundle of individual cables that transmit signals (information transmission) or working currents (energy). The cables are arranged in a Cable harness, e.g. held together by clamps, cable ties, binding twine, adhesive tape or hoses.

The term "assembly unit" describes an assembly element that can be variably fixed on an assembly board for the production of a cable harness. These are typically fork-shaped devices that are often held vertically above the assembly board by vertical tubes. Alternatively, an assembly unit can be a different type of holding device for parts of cable harnesses or deflection bolts.

The term "light source" describes a light-emitting element. This is essentially visible light. Parts of the present inventive devices can also use one or more multi-color light sources. These are characterized by the fact that they can emit light of different wavelengths - that is, different colors. Conventional light bulbs, but in particular LEDs, are used as the light source.

The term "energy harvesting" describes the extraction of small amounts of electrical energy from sources such as ambient temperature, vibrations or air currents for low-power mobile devices. The structures used for this are also known as nanogenerators. Energy harvesting avoids the limitations of wired power supplies or batteries in wireless technologies. The mechanical energy that is introduced into a system by an operator pressing a button can also be used for energy harvesting.

• Der Werker bzw. Fertigungsmitarbeiter, welcher einen Kabelbaum anfertigt, bekommt durch die optische Bestückungsanzeigevorrichtung und/oder optische Verlegeanzeigevorrichtung eine direkte und aktive Unterstützung bei der Verlegung der einzelnen Kabel oder von teilgebündelten Kabelsträngen des Kabelbaums. Er muss sich nicht ausschließlich auf den vorhandenen Plan verlassen; und er muss nicht ständig aktiv in den Plan schauen, um festzustellen, wie welches Kabel oder welches Teilstück des Kabelbaums in oder um welche Verlegeelemente zu legen ist.

The assembly display device and the installation display device presented here have a number of advantages:

• The worker or production employee who is making a cable harness receives direct and active support from the optical assembly display device and/or optical installation display device when laying the individual cables or partially bundled cable strands of the cable harness. He does not have to rely exclusively on the existing plan; and he does not have to constantly actively look at the plan to determine how which cable or which section of the cable harness should be laid in or around which laying elements.

In addition, he receives active visual information about how individual cables in the wiring harness must be connected to components - for example, connectors. This eliminates the need to actively read the respective details from the plan for the respective wiring harness.

This largely minimizes errors in housing assembly - especially of connectors - for example due to mixed up or missing stop parts. The same applies to the laying of cables within customized cable harnesses. By actively guiding the production employee during the production of cable harnesses, the cycle time can be shortened, as the necessary laying or assembly information is made available to the production employee actively and individually in a conspicuous, visual manner and at the right time.

In addition, a transmitting unit of the optical assembly display device and/or the optical installation display device sends out a unique code so that the optical assembly display and/or the optical installation display device can be triangulated, particularly in the factory hall, i.e. the position of the assembly display device and/or the installation display device can be determined externally. This also applies even though the assembly display devices mounted on the assembly boards constantly change their position in the production hall. This also determines which work step should be carried out next according to a production plan, since the position of the assembly boards can be used to define the cables or components to be installed next. On this basis, the receiving unit can then receive the signals according to which the light source is controlled. This means that the production employee always receives information about the next production step or steps or assembly steps for producing the cable harness. This also provides a very flexible control and information transfer option from a higher-level production control system to the production employee who produces a wiring harness.

Further advantageous embodiments of the objects are described below.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the optical assembly display device, the light source is arranged such that it shines through an assembly opening of the component. The assembly opening can, for example, be a chamber in an empty connector housing. This allows the assembly worker to directly see into which chamber a cable with a contact is to be inserted.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the optical assembly display device, the light source can be a multi-colour light source. The multi-coloured light source can be a multi-coloured LED (light emitting diode), or other multi-coloured light sources can be used. The active luminous colour of the multi-coloured light source can, for example, correspond to the colour of the cable. This gives the production worker a direct colour indication not only of where to insert a plug contact into a connector housing or other component, but also an indication of which cable to use. In addition, the multi-coloured nature of the LED, for example, can also be used to identify multi-coloured cables, as the LED takes on different colours one after the other.

Similar application possibilities and advantages also arise from the use of multi-colour light sources in the installation display device.

According to a special embodiment of the optical assembly display device, the assembly unit has a receiving unit that receives signals according to which the light source or light sources are controlled. This allows the assembly display device to emit different light signals at different times in the production process depending on requirements, e.g. depending on the type of cable harness. The receiving unit can be designed for signals from different transmission media; e.g.: radio waves (WLAN, Bluetooth, or radio connections of any frequency and/or coding) or optical, such as IR, message transmission.

According to an additional embodiment of the optical assembly display device, the receiving unit can have a request unit that requests signals for controlling the light source. The request unit can consist of a button that - when pressed - causes a transmitter to send out a coded signal that indicates which assembly display device the request comes from. After reception by a receiving system that is coupled to a production control system, for example, a corresponding code is sent back to the assembly display device, which then converts this code into appropriate light signals. The request unit can also be implemented using a proximity switch, so that the production employee can trigger the helpful light signals by simply approaching the assembly display device, e.g. with his hand. Alternatively, the request can also be made using a touch-sensitive button.

According to a specially designed embodiment of the optical assembly display device, power can be supplied by a built-in energy source, e.g. a battery or rechargeable battery. Alternatives include energy supply by inductive energy transfer from the outside and/or by energy harvesting. In this case, for example, pressing the request button would be converted into energy that is sufficient to operate the receiving unit, or potentially also to operate the transmitting unit.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the optical assembly display device, several light sources can be present, with one light source each shining through an associated assembly opening of the component, e.g. the empty connector housing. Several light sources (e.g. LEDs) can also shine simultaneously. This gives the production employee information about the use of components - e.g. empty connector housings - with several different cables.

According to an additional embodiment of the optical assembly display device, the one or more light sources and the component to be assembled can be arranged next to each other on or at the assembly unit. If the component is, for example, an empty connector housing, the multiple light sources can indicate the required connector assignment by different illumination of individual LEDs, which correspond, for example, to chambers of the empty connector housing or another component.

According to an effective embodiment of the optical assembly display device, the multiple light sources can be implemented or designed as a display. This can be a display using a wide variety of technologies (e.g. LED, OLED, TFT, LCT, e-paper). This also makes it possible to provide effective information for the assembly of connectors and the like, particularly when the display and the component to be assembled are arranged next to one another on the assembly unit.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the optical installation display device, the installation element can be made of transparent plastic. If the light source shines into the transparent plastic, the entire transparent plastic lights up. If the installation element is a fork-shaped holder, it lights up almost completely. This is a very clear signal to a production employee to use this illuminated element for further completion of the cable harness - i.e. inserting a cable.

According to an embodiment of the optical laying display device, the light source is above placed halfway between the base, which causes the respective installation element to light up.

It is noted that embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments of the invention may be described with apparatus claims and other embodiments of the invention with method claims. However, it will immediately become clear to those skilled in the art upon reading this application that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, in addition to a combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter, any combination of features belonging to different categories of subject matter is also possible.

Further advantages and features of the present invention emerge from the following exemplary description of currently preferred embodiments. The individual figures of the drawings of this application are to be regarded as merely schematic, exemplary and not to scale.

Short description of the characters

• 1 shows the optical assembly display device with a connector to be assembled.
• 2 represents the optical installation display device.
• 3 shows an example of an assembly board for the production of cable harnesses.
• 4 shows an example of a cable being fitted with a plug contact.
• 5 illustrates an arrangement of assembly boards in a workshop.
• 6 represents a transmitting/receiving unit of the optical assembly display device including an exemplary power supply.

Description of implementation examples

It is pointed out that features or components of different embodiments that are the same or at least functionally equivalent to the corresponding features or components of the embodiment are provided with the same reference numerals or with a different reference numeral that only differs in its first digit from the reference numeral of a (functionally) corresponding feature or a (functionally) corresponding component. To avoid unnecessary repetition, features or components that have already been explained using a previously described embodiment will not be explained in detail later.

It should also be noted that the embodiments described below represent only a limited selection of possible embodiment variants of the invention. In particular, it is possible to combine the features of individual embodiments in a suitable manner, so that a large number of different embodiments can be regarded as obviously disclosed by the embodiment variants explicitly presented here.

1 shows the optical assembly display device 100 with an empty connector housing 104 to be assembled, which serves here as an example of a component. An assembly unit 102 is mounted on a carrier 116, such as a tube. The carrier 116 can in turn be fastened to an assembly board. One or more light sources 106 can be arranged in the upper area of the assembly unit 102. These can be designed in different forms, as discussed above. Above the assembly unit 102, an empty connector housing 104 is shown as an example of a component. The empty connector housing 104 has several empty chambers 108. These can be assembled by inserting (and locking) plug contacts 110 - e.g. socket or plug. The plug contacts 110 are typically located at the end of a cable 112. If the empty plug housing 104 is located on or above the light sources 106, which are designed as LEDs, for example, these light up from below through the empty chambers 108 of the empty plug housing 104. The empty plug housing 104 can be releasably fixed on or in the mounting unit 102, for example by a holding device (not shown).

In addition, a request unit 114 can be seen, which can be designed, for example, in the form of a button to be pressed or as a proximity sensor. The request unit 114 can be used to request the signals for controlling the light sources 106 from a higher-level production control system.

2 represents the optical installation indicator 200. A base 202 may be located on a foot 208 mounted on the mounting board (not shown). The optical installation indicator 200 is shown here as a fork-shaped device. Other forms of holders or deflection bolts are known to those skilled in the art. The optical installation indicator technology can be transferred to other forms of mounting elements. The fork-shaped element 204 is on the upper at the other end of the base 202. In addition, at least one light source 206 - e.g. a single or multi-colored LED - is provided at the upper end of the base 202. This can be provided next to the fork-shaped mounting element 204 or also below or in the fork-shaped mounting element 204. If the LED, which can also be multi-colored, is mounted below or inside the fork-shaped mounting element 204 and this consists of a transparent or partially transparent plastic, the entire plastic will light up. For the assembly worker who is assembling a cable harness, this is a very clear sign to insert a certain cable into or on the respective illuminated laying element. Alternatively, the light source can also be arranged at the upper end of the base 202 next to the fork-shaped mounting element 204.

3 shows an example of an assembly board 300 for the production of cable harnesses 302. The expert is familiar with assembly boards 300 for the production of a wide variety of cable harnesses 302. A wide variety of laying elements 306 can be located on the assembly board 300. This allows different cable harnesses to be produced on the same assembly board. However, incorrect assignments of laying elements 210 that are not equipped with additional optical functions - for example self-illuminating functions - are often made. In addition, one can see in 3 various end pieces 304, which can be, for example, plugs or other components. Typically, a production employee 308 works on such an assembly board 300. Various production employees 308 can assemble different parts - such as cables, components, plugs, etc. - into an entire cable harness 302 at different production positions within a factory hall.

4 shows, by way of example, the fitting of a cable 112 with a plug contact 110. The end of the cable 112 is typically stripped. The strand-like character 402 of the cable 112 is shown schematically. In addition, the plug contacts 110 can be equipped with barb-like retaining devices 404. These serve as self-retaining instruments for fixing the plug contact 110 in an empty connector housing 104 or in other components.

5 illustrates an arrangement of assembly boards 300 in a workshop 500. A total of six assembly boards 300 are shown. For example, the start of production of the cable harness 302 can be at position 402. Depending on the position of the assembly location 300 within the workshop 500, different parts of the cable harness 302 are typically manufactured by different production employees 308 (not shown). At the last position 506, the complete cable harness can be completed and removed from the assembly board 300. In the next production step, the empty assembly board 300 can then be moved back to the first position 502, with all other assembly boards 300 advancing to the next position in a circular motion. This is indicated by the dotted arrows in the 5 shown. From position 504, an assembly board 300 is moved as it advances from the upper production row to the lower production row.

In addition, one can recognize transmitting/receiving systems 508 that can communicate with the receiving unit or the transmitter unit, the optical assembly display device 100 or the optical installation display device 200. In this case, not every production position of the assembly boards 300 would have to be equipped with its own transmitting/receiving system 508. Depending on the range, fewer transmitting/receiving systems 508 may be required. In principle, however, every optical assembly display device 100 and every optical installation display device 200 can be localized in space. Triangulation methods are generally known. If the range of the radio signals used is practically limited to the size of the assembly board, triangulation methods can be dispensed with, since a 1:1 relationship between a transmitting/receiving system 508 and assembly display devices 100 and installation display devices 200 on an assembly board would then automatically exist. Such a transmitting-receiving system 508 could also be advantageously mounted, e.g. centrally, behind the mounting board.

Since, depending on the production progress and thus depending on the position of the assembly board 300 in the workshop 400, different activities are required, such as adding different cables 112 or other components - such as connectors in the form of empty connector housings 104 -, timely and positionally correct visual indications can make work significantly easier for the production employee 308. He can receive precise information related to an optical assembly display device 100 or optical installation display device 200.

6 illustrates a transmitting/receiving unit 604/606 of the optical placement display device including an exemplary power supply 608. The transmitting/receiving unit 604/606 can be located within the optical placement display device 100 or the optical laying display device 200.

The one or more light sources 106 is/are shown at the top of the mounting unit 102 and is part of the display module 602, which controls the light sources 106 (which light source lights up when and how). An inductive power supply 608 is shown here for energy transfer. A receiver Rx resonator 610 can be provided in the mounting unit 102. As a counterpart - e.g. as part of the mounting board 300 or below it - one or more Tx resonators 516 can be provided. In addition, a battery (not shown) can alternatively be provided in the mounting unit. The Tx resonator(s) is/are typically connected to an AC power source 520.

This arrangement is advantageous because the optical assembly display device 100 or the optical laying display device 200 can be supplied with energy regardless of their position on the mounting board 300. A battery change is therefore never necessary, which significantly increases ease of maintenance.

List of reference symbols

100

optical assembly display device

102

Assembly unit

104

empty connector housing

106

Light source

108

empty chamber housing

110

Plug contact

112

Cable

114

Requirement unit

116

carrier

200

optical installation indicator

202

base

204

fork-shaped mounting element

206

Light source

208

Foot

210

Laying element

300

Mounting board

302

Wiring harness

304

End piece

306

Laying element

308

Production workers

400

Workshop

402

Starting position

404

a position of the mounting board

406

Final position of the mounting board for a wiring harness

408

Transmitting/receiving system

602

Display module

604

Receiving unit

606

Transmitter unit

608

Energy supply

610

Rx resonator

612

Inductive transmission

614

stationary energy supply

616

Tx resonator

618

Power source

Claims (12)

An optical assembly display device (100) for assembling cable harnesses (302) with components (104, 304), the optical assembly display device (100) comprising: - an assembly unit (102) for receiving a component (104, 304), - a light source (106) as part of the assembly unit (102), the light source (106) being arranged in such a way that it indicates where a contact of the cable harness (302) can be attached to the component (104, 304), and the contact of the cable harness (302) being an end of a cable (112) of the cable harness (302) equipped with a plug contact (110), the assembly unit (102) comprising a receiving unit (604) which receives signals according to which the light source (106) is controlled, a transmitting unit (606) of the optical Component display device (100) emits a unique code so that the optical component display device (100) can be triangulated, and on the basis of which the receiving unit (604) receives the signals according to which the light source (106) is controlled, and wherein the receiving unit (604) has a request unit (114) to request the signals for controlling the light source (106). The optical assembly display device (100) according to Claim 1 , in which the light source (106) is arranged such that it shines through a mounting opening (108) of the component (104, 304). The optical assembly display device (100) according to Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the light source (106) is a multi-color light source. The optical assembly display device (100) according to one of the preceding claims wherein a power supply (608) is provided by a built-in energy source, by an inductive energy transfer (612) from outside and/or by energy harvesting. The optical assembly display device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of light sources (106) are present, wherein in each case one light source (106) shines through an associated mounting opening (108) of the component (104, 304). The optical assembly display device (100) according to Claim 5 , wherein the one or more light sources (106) and the component (104, 304) are arranged side by side on the mounting unit (102). The optical assembly display device (100) according to Claim 6 , in which the plurality of light sources (106) are realized as a display. An optical laying display device (200) for cable harness production, the optical laying display device (200) comprising: - a laying element (210) consisting of a base (202) and a fork-shaped mounting element (204) on the base (202) for receiving cables (112), the base (202) comprising a light source (206) which signals whether a cable (112) can be inserted into the fork-shaped mounting element (204), the fork-shaped mounting element (204) comprising a receiving unit (604) which receives signals according to which the light source (206) is controlled, a transmitting unit (606) of the optical laying display device (200) transmitting a unique code so that the optical laying display device (200) can be triangulated, and on the basis of which the receiving unit (604) receives the signals according to which the light source (206) and wherein the receiving unit (604) has a request unit (114) to request the signals for controlling the light source (206). The optical laying indicator device (200) according to Claim 8 , wherein the light source (206) is a multi-color light source. The optical laying indicator device (200) according to Claim 8 or 9 , in which the fork-shaped mounting element (204) consists of transparent plastic. The optical laying indicator device (200) according to Claim 10 in which the light source (206) is placed above the base (202), whereby the fork-shaped mounting element (204) illuminates. A method for manufacturing cable harnesses (302), the method comprising: - receiving data for controlling a light source (206) of an optical routing display device (200) according to one of the Claims 8 until 11 depending on a position of the assembly board (300) within a workshop (400), - laying cables (112) taking into account signals from the light source (206) of the optical laying display device (200), - receiving data for controlling the light source (106) of an optical assembly display device (100) according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 depending on a position of the assembly board (300) within the workshop (400), and - equipping the cable harness (302) with components (104, 304) with the aid of signals from the light source (106) of the optical assembly display device (100).

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