EP0444032B1 - A method and device for producing wiring harnesses - Google Patents

Abstract

A method is described for the production of wiring harnesses, especially using the crimping system, in which socket casing holders are arranged on a jig, between which the individual wires are held using ''jig attachments''. The invention is remarkable owing to the combination of the features below: the socket casing holders are arranged in a line on one lateral surface of the jig and the attachments are arranged on the actual working surface; the jig is moved in at least one direction; the attachment of at least one end of a wire to the contacts is effected by moving the jig by means of a fixed securing device.

Description

Technical field

The invention relates to a method for producing cable harnesses, in particular in crimping technology, and to an apparatus for carrying out this method, according to the preamble of claim 9.

State of the art

Such a method and such a device are known from DE-A-36 08 243. From EP-A-8155 a method and a device are known in which the laying board is rotatable, the rotating movement serving to eject a finished cable harness and corresponding laying aids.

In wire harness assembly, most of the operations are currently carried out manually in industrial production. A few pilot plants have become known in which the cables are laid using an industrial robot; in particular for the production of wire harnesses in the so-called crimping technique, however, no system is known in which all work processes can be automated, at least in principle:
There are rigidly automated assembly machines or stop devices with which cables can be cut to length and provided with crimp contacts on one or both sides. However, all of the operations that follow the assembly are usually carried out manually.

In the case of the pilot plants that have become known, the connector assembly in particular is very time-consuming, and the availability is low. In particular, with these pilot systems, the contact (one or both sides) is first
struck and only then the line is automatically laid, whereby the contacts are inserted into the connector housing.

Presentation of the invention

The invention has for its object to provide a method for the production of wire harnesses in particular in crimping technology, d. H. of wire harnesses, which are at least partially provided with so-called crimp contacts, in which all work steps can be automated with high availability.

A solution to this problem according to the invention is characterized by its developments in the claims. The invention is based on the basic idea that, deviating from the previous procedure, the receptacle devices for the plug housings should not be arranged on the actual working surface of the laying board, but on a boundary surface. Only the laying aids, which are designed in a known manner, are arranged on the actual working surface of the laying board. On the basis of this basic idea of the invention, it is possible to arrange the device that is absolutely necessary for a fully automated production of a wire harness, namely the so-called stop device, and to transfer the individual cables into the area of the stop device in each case by moving the laying board. Due to the basic idea according to the invention, according to which the various devices are "in alignment", a multi-axis positioning device is not required. In particular, it is therefore not necessary that, for example, an industrial robot guides the stop device, so that, due to the method according to the invention, a corresponding worker is working Device (claims 9 ff.) On a complex industrial robot that can position heavy tools can be dispensed with.

It is particularly possible to completely dispense with the involvement of an industrial robot (i.e. a multi-axis positioning device) for laying the cables and, in the case of stationary stripping and stripping machines, the cables with a laying tool that can move in two directions, for example a so-called laying nozzle and a movement of the Laying board in two directions (claim 2).

Only when using connector types in which it is possible to insert the cable provided with a contact into the connector housing from only one direction, it may be necessary to use a laying tool which is guided by a multi-axis positioning device. This positioning device first transfers the cable into the area of the striking machine (claim 4) and then inserts the cable provided with a contact into the connector housing.

Of course, both when using a fixed laying tool, such as a laying nozzle, and when using a laying tool guided by an industrial robot and corresponding plug types, it is possible to first plug the cable through the connector housing and then into the area of a fixed stripping and to transfer the stop device. The cable provided with a contact is then "inserted" into the plug by pulling it back.

The cables can also be tied on the laying board with a fixed tying tool or with a laying tool guided by an industrial robot.

Brief description of the drawing

Fig. 1a und 1b

eine Seitenansicht bzw. eine Frontansicht eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels, und

Fig. 2a und 2b

eine Aufsicht bzw. eine Ansicht bei A-A in Fig. 2a eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels.

The invention is described in more detail below on the basis of two exemplary embodiments without restricting the general inventive concept with reference to the drawing, in which:

1a and 1b

a side view and a front view of a first embodiment, and

2a and 2b

a top view or a view at AA in Fig. 2a of a second embodiment.

Description of an embodiment

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, a laying board 1 is arranged to be movable in the x and y directions. Without restricting the general inventive concept, the plane spanned by the x and y directions is a vertical plane in relation to a stationary system.

In a departure from the known procedure, the receptacles 2 for the plug housing of the wiring harness are not arranged on the actual working surface of the laying board 1, but on a narrow side. Only the so-called laying aids 3 for guiding the lines 8 are located on the work surface. In front of the laying board there is a laying nozzle 6 which is movable perpendicular to the directions of movement of the laying board. Of course it is possible to lay cables with different cross-sections and / or colors to provide a number of laying nozzles. A line feed unit 4 is attached to the laying nozzle 6. The unit 4 can convey a line 8 taken from a cable drum 7 both forwards and backwards, ie in the two directions of the double arrow z.

Various units 5 are provided behind the laying board, which have to strip the cables and attach the required connectors to the cables.

These units are shown offset from the actual laying unit 6 in FIG. 1b, but of course these units can also be designed in alignment and / or displaceable in the x direction.

Furthermore, an automatic parts supply device for plug connectors, cable ties, etc., which is not shown in FIG. 1, is attached in the area of the laying board.

From this supply system, the receiving devices 2 on the top of the laying board 1 can be equipped with corresponding plugs.

The handling movement between the parts supply system and the laying board 1 can either be carried out by a separate industrial robot (also not shown) or by pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical handling modules.

The operation of the device described above is to be explained below:
First, the devices 2 on the top of the vertically attached laying board are equipped with appropriate connector housings. The laying board is then positioned in front of a laying nozzle which shoots through a line from the laying nozzle through a contact chamber of a plug housing. The penetrated line is stripped in one of the stripping and stop devices 5 attached above and behind the movable laying board and provided with a plug. For this purpose, they are at the same height as the connectors in the receptacles. Since the stop devices 5 are fixed in place or movable in the x direction, the laying board can be positioned both by an independent movement and by a movement of the stop devices in such a way that the necessary spatial points for stripping and stripping the lines 8 are approached.

After the contacts have been attached, the line pre-assembled in this way is withdrawn with the aid of the delivery unit mounted in the area of the laying nozzle (which can be moved in two directions), so that the struck contact automatically engages in the plug housing. Now the line is laid by a two-axis xy movement of the laying board. After laying the line, the end of the line is cut off in the laying nozzle and the second end of the line is fastened to the laying board. After this automatic step has been carried out, the second cable ends are either stripped manually and provided with contacts or stripped and stripped using an industrial robot. The bundling of the cable harness can be carried out both manually and fully automatically, for example with an automatically operated tying gun. Further it is also possible to use a fixed setting gun.

If only one type of contact is to be processed, the laying nozzle is advantageously attached directly in front of the associated stop machine. In this case, the laying nozzle only has to be moved in an axis which is movable perpendicular to the two axes of the laying board.

If several types of contacts are to be processed, either the laying nozzles or the stop machines are mounted on an axis that can be moved in the x direction in order to combine any cables with any contacts. In this case too, the laying nozzles can be moved in the z direction in order to be able to carry out corresponding evasive movements.

In addition, the conveyor 4 still has the function of clamping the line during the striking process. Furthermore, the mobility in the z direction of the unit 4 or 6 ensures that the smallest possible distance is maintained when the line is threaded into the plug connection between the individual elements. The cable feed in the z direction, on the other hand, promotes the cable through connectors into the corresponding stripping or stripping machine.

In any case, the device according to the invention or the method that can be implemented with this device has the advantage that lines are not only automatically prefabricated, but can also be installed fully automatically.

Figures 2a and 2b show a further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the same parts as in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 are given the same reference numerals.

In contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 there is no laying nozzle, but rather an industrial robot 11 with the working area 11 ′. The industrial robot 11 removes tools 14, such as, for example, laying tools from a corresponding magazine 14 ′, and in turn uses these tools 14 to lay the cable 8 removed from a cable drum 7.

The deviating mode of operation of this device is described below:
In preparation, for example, the configuration of the cable harness to be produced can be entered in a CAD work station and converted by means of a calculation program in such a way that all the connector housings come to lie in a line.

The multi-axis positioning device (industrial robot) 11 positions the connector housing receptacles 2 provided in a corresponding magazine 2 'on the upper edge of the in turn vertically arranged laying board 1. The industrial robot then positions the laying aids 3 removed from a magazine 3' on the actual work surface.

After these preparatory steps have been completed, the industrial robot 11 loads the holding devices 2 on the laying board 1 with a gripper 14 from the corresponding supply magazine with plug housings which are provided in a magazine 10.

Thereupon, the industrial robot 11 changes a laying tool from the magazine 14 ', moves to the stripping device 5', so that the cable end guided with the laying tool is stripped. In the next step, the industrial robot drives to a stop device 5, which attaches a crimp contact to the stripped cable end.

The robot now uses the laying tool to attach the attached cable end and lay the cable according to the path specified by the control. The cable 8 is pulled out of the cable barrel 7 through the laying tool.

After reaching the second connector housing, the cable is cut off in the tool. The industrial robot 11 and the laying board 1 perform a synchronous movement to the stripping device 5 ′ and then to the permanently installed stop devices 5.

Depending on the design of the connector housing, the cable is first provided with a contact on the attachment machine and then joined using the industrial robot, or the cable is pushed through the connector housing, provided with a contact and then "pulled back" into the connector housing.

A cable is pushed in the laying tool, the laying and contacting process for the other cables runs as already described.

After all the cables have been laid, the robot retrieves a setting tool from the tool changing magazine 14 '. The wiring harness is connected to the one specified by the control Locations tied, the cable ties are made available to the tying tool by a cable tie supply device 19 provided.

The invention has been described above on the basis of exemplary embodiments without restricting the general inventive concept, within which, of course, the most varied modifications are possible.

For example, it is possible to combine basic ideas of the first exemplary embodiment - using a fixed laying nozzle - with basic ideas of the second exemplary embodiment - laying the cables with the aid of an industrial robot. In particular, the free cable ends created in the first exemplary embodiment can be automatically laid by a device which is constructed in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment. It is only necessary to modify the second embodiment in such a way that the cables are not removed from a cable barrel, but that the laying tool grips the free cable ends and otherwise moves accordingly.

For this purpose, it is possible, for example, to arrange the laying board on a conveyor belt 20 which transports the laying board between the individual processing stations.

In any case, the method and the device according to the invention have the advantage, through the use of a double-sided laying board, on the narrow side of which the connector housing receptacles are arranged, that both cable ends are provided with crimp contacts and in connector housings without a pre-assembled cable being temporarily stored or generated can be inserted in that the working distance laying tool-plug-stop device is minimized by the "standing" arrangement of the laying board.

Claims (13)

1. Method for manufacture of cable harnesses, in particular by crimping, in which connector housing receiving devices (2) are arranged on a laying board (1), between which the individual cables (8) are laid using so-called laying aids (3) which are arranged on the actual working surface of the laying board (1), characterised by the combination of the following steps:

   - the connector housing receiving devices (2) are arranged on an edge surface of the laying board (1) in a line,

   - the laying board (1) is moved in at least one direction,

   - the fixing of at least one cable end on the contacts is performed by movement of at least one cable end together with the laying board (1) to a stationery fixed fixing device (5) or by movement of the fixing device (5) in the direction of the edge surfaces of the laying board (1).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that a laying tool (14) is arranged in front of the laying board (1) and, behind or above the laying board (1) a an Insulation stripping device (5) [sic] and at least one fixing device (5) are arranged in front of the laying board (1), and that laying of the cable (8) through the individual connections in the connector housing arranged in the receiving devices (2) and via the laying aids (3) is done by movement of the laying board (1) in two directions.
3. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the laying of the cable (8) is done by a multiple axis positioning apparatus, which guides a laying tool (14).
4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that prior to insertion in the connector housing, the cable 8 is provided with a contact by a movement of the industrial robot (11) towards the fixing device (5).
5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the cable (8) is inserted and subsequently stripped and contacted through the connector housing connector.
6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that a second cable end is also stripped, fixed and inserted into the connector housing after laying the cable.
7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the cables (8) are laced on the laying board (1).
8. Method according to claim 7, characterised in that the cables (8) are laced at locations pre-set by a control unit.
9. Apparatus for performing the method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised by a laying board (1) which is moveable in at least one direction, the movement of which is controlled by a control unit wherein an edge surface of the laying board (1) is set out for receiving connector housing receiving devices (2) and whereby a cable end fixing device (6), which is stationary or moveable in the direction of the edge surfaces, is arranged so that the edge surface of the laying board (1) for receiving the connector housing receiving device (2) is moveable in front of the working area of the fixing device (5).
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the plane of the laying board (1) is aligned vertically.
11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that the laying board (1) is moveable in the plane defined by its edges.
12. Apparatus according to one of the claims 9 to 11, characterised in that in front of the laying board (1) a laying nozzle (6) which is moveable vertically to the direction of movement of the laying board (1), and which can be arranged in linear alignment with the fixing device (5) and a connector housing arranged on the edge surface of the laying board (1).
13. Apparatus according to one of claims 9 to 12 , characterised in that an industrial robot (1) is provided for mounting the laying board (1) with the connector housings and laying aids (3) as well as for holding laying tools and cables (8).

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