EP2064712A1

EP2064712A1 - Electric wire coloring apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP2064712A1
Application number: EP07791328A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Takeshi Kamata; Keigo Sugimura; Kiyoshi Yagi
Original assignee: Yazaki Corp
Current assignee: Yazaki Corp
Priority date: 2006-09-22
Filing date: 2007-07-19
Publication date: 2009-06-03
Also published as: WO2008035507A1; MX2009003014A; CN101517661A; CN101517661B; JP2008078012A

Abstract

An electric wire coloring apparatus 1 includes : a first forming unit 20 for forming a first design pattern 7 on an electric wire 3; a second forming unit 30 for forming a second design pattern 8 on the electric wire 3; a coloring material supplying unit 40 for supplying the coloring material to both the first and the second forming units 20, 30; and a controller 50. The coloring material supplying unit 40 includes an undiluted material container 41a for receiving the undiluted material of the coloring material)' a diluting material container 42 for receiving the diluting material for diluting the undiluted material; and a mixing member 43a for mixing the undiluted material and the diluting material. When forming the first design pattern 7, the first coloring material composed of only the undiluted material is supplied to the first forming unit 20. When forming the second design pattern 8, the second coloring material mixed of the undiluted and diluting material is supplied to the second forming unit 30.

Description

DESCRIPTION Electric wire coloring apparatus Technical field

This invention relates to an electric wire coloring apparatus for coloring the electric wire having a conductive core wire and an insulating sheath for covering the core wire. Back ground

Various electronic components are mounted on a vehicle as a moving body. Therefore, a wiring harness is arranged in the vehicle for supplying electric power from a battery to the electronic components and supplying control signals from a computer to the electronic components. The wiring harness includes a plurality of electric wires and a connector attached to ends of the electric wires.

The electric wire includes a conductive core wire and a sheath made of insulating synthetic resin for covering the core wire. The electric wire is a so-called coated wire. The connector includes terminals and a connector housing for receiving the terminals. The terminals are made of conductive metallic plate, and connected to the ends of the electric wires and electrically connected to the core wires of the electric wires. The connector housing is made of insulating synthetic resin, and has a box shape. By connecting the connector housing to the electronic components to make the electric wires electrically connected to the electronic components via terminals, the wiring harness supplies the desired electric power or signals to the electronic components.

When assembling the wiring harness, firstly, the electric wires are cut in a specific length, the sheathes at the ends of the electric wires are removed, and ,

then the terminals are attached to the ends of the electric wires. Then, if necessary, the electric wires are connected to each other. Then, the terminals are inserted into the connector housing. Thus, the wiring harness is assembled.

A size of the core wire, material of the sheath (for example, heat resistance property) and a purpose of use of each electric wire in the wiring harness should be distinguished. The purpose of use is, for example, transmitting control signals of an air bag, ABS (Antilock Brake System), or a vehicle speed, or supplying electric power.

Conventionally, in the electric wire used for the wiring harness, before the sheath is made by extruding synthetic resin onto the core wire, coloring material having a desired color is mixed with the synthetic resin, so that the sheath has the desired color (see Patent Document 1 to 3). In this case, it is necessary to stop an extrusion machine for extruding to make the sheath before changing an outer surface of the electric wire. In this case, every time when changing the color of the electric wire, the extrusion machine should be stopped. Therefore, time and labor for producing the electric wire is increased, and productivity is decreased.

Alternatively, while the extrusion machine extruding the sheath, the coloring material to be mixed with the synthetic resin is changed. In this case, just after changing the color of the coloring material, the color of the synthetic resin is a mixture of the color before change and the color after change. Thus, a material yield of the electric wire is decreased.

For preventing a reduction of the productivity of the electric wire and a reduction of the material yield of the electric wire, an applicant of the present invention suggests that after producing mono color electric wires, outer surfaces of the electric wires are colored, in desired colors, and then the wiring harness is assembled (see Patent Document 4). The applicant further suggests an electric wire coloring apparatus in which when the mono color electric wire is colored, a specific amount of liquid coloring material is jetted to the outer surface of the electric wire to form a desired design pattern on the outer surface of the electric wire by attaching a drop of the coloring material to the outer surface of the electric wire (see Patent Document 5).

Further, as an example of the design pattern, the applicant of the present invention suggests a design pattern formed, by combining a first design pattern composed of a straight line formed along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and a second design pattern composed of a mark formed in a ring shape formed over a whole circumference of the electric wire.

Patent Document 1 Japanese published patent application No.

Hei5-111947 Patent Document 2 Japanese published patent application No.

Hei6-119833

Patent Document 3 Japanese published patent application No.

Hei9-92056

Patent Document 4 International publication No. WO03/019580 Patent Document 5 Japanese patent application No. 2005-019081

Disclosure of the invention Problem to be solved by the invention

The second design pattern is formed by the coloring material jetted from a coloring nozzle surrounding on the outer surface of the electric wire around the circumference of the electric wire. Therefore, it is necessary that viscosity of the coloring material forming the second design pattern is lower than that of the coloring material forming the first design pattern, and has a good rounding ability. Therefore, even when colors of the first and second design patterns are the same, it is necessary to prepare two types of coloring material having different viscosities. Therefore, there is a problem that the electric wire having the design patterns costs high.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire coloring apparatus for forming a plurality of design patterns with a relatively few kinds of coloring material (undiluted material). Means for solving problem

For attaining the object, according to the invention claimed in claim 1, there is provided an electric wire coloring apparatus comprising: a first forming unit having a coloring nozzle for jetting liquid coloring material onto an outer surface of the electric wire, said first forming unit configured to form a first design pattern on the outer surface,^" a second forming unit having another coloring nozzle, configured to form a second design pattern which is different from the first design pattern on the outer surface; and a coloring material supplying unit configured to supply the coloring material to the coloring nozzles of both the first and the second forming units, wherein said coloring material supplying unit comprises-^' an undiluted material container configured to receive the undiluted material of the coloring material; a diluting material container configured to receive the diluting material for diluting the undiluted material; <

a mixing member communicating with the undiluted material container and the diluting material container, configured to mix the undiluted material and the diluting material; and a controller for supplying first coloring material composed of the undiluted material to the coloring nozzle of the first forming unit, and supplying second coloring material mixed of the undiluted and diluting material in a predetermined ratio to the coloring nozzle of the second forming unit according to predetermined coloring data.

According to the invention claimed in claim 2, there is provided the electric wire coloring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first forming unit rapidly forms the first design pattern composed of a straight line or dots formed along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and the second forming unit forms the second design pattern composed of a mark having a ring shape formed over a whole circumference of the electric wire.

Incidentally, in this specification, the coloring material means a liquid substance, in which a coloring agent (organic substance for use in industry) is dissolved and dispersed in water or other solvent. The organic substance is a dye or a pigment (most of them being organic substances and synthetic substances). Sometimes, a dye is used as a pigment and a pigment is used as a dye. As a more concrete example, the coloring material in this specification is a coloring liquid and coating material. The coloring liquid is a liquid, in which a dye is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent. The coating material is a material, in which a pigment is dispersed in a liquid dispersion. When the coloring liquid is deposited on the outer surface of the object, the dye permeates into the object. When the coating material is deposited on the outer surface of the object, the pigment is deposited on the outer surface without permeating into the object. That is, "to color the outer surface of the object" means to dye a part of the outer surface of the object with a dye or to coat a part of the outer surface of the object with a pigment.

Preferably, the solvent and liquid dispersion have an affinity to the synthetic resin that constitutes the electric wire in order to securely permeate the dye into the electric wire or to allow the pigment to securely be deposited on the outer surface of the electric wire. Brief description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a structure of an electric wire coloring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a mixing member of the electric wire coloring apparatus shown in Fig. L^" and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an electric wire having a design pattern formed by the electric wire coloring apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Explanations of letters or numerals

1 electric wire coloring apparatus

3 electric wire 3a outer surface of the electric wire

7 first design pattern

8 second design pattern 20 first forming unit

21a, 21b, 21c, 31a, 31b, 31c coloring nozzle 30 second forming unit 40 coloring material supplying unit

41a, 41b, 41c undiluted material container

42 diluting material container

43a, 43b, 43c mixing member 50 controller (controlling member)

Best mode for carrying out the invention

An electric wire coloring apparatus (hereafter referred to as "coloring apparatus 1") according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The coloring apparatus 1 cuts an electric wire 3 at a specific length, and forms a first design pattern 7 and a second design pattern 8 on an outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 as shown in Fig. 3. Namely, the coloring apparatus 1 colors or marks the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3.

The electric wire 3 composes a wiring harness configured to be arranged in a vehicle as a moving body. As shown in Fig. 3, the electric wire 3 includes a conductive core wire 4 and an insulating sheath 5. The core wire 4 is formed by twisting a plurality of elemental wires. The elemental wire is made of conductive metal. The core wire 4 may be composed of a single elemental wire. The sheath 5 is made of synthetic resin such as polyvinylchloride (PVC). The sheath 5 covers the core wire 4. Therefore, the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is an outer surface of the sheath 5.

The sheath 5 is a monochrome color P. A desired coloring material may be mixed with the synthetic resin of the sheath 5 so as to make the color of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 be the monochrome color P, or alternatively, the monochrome color P may be set as the color of the synthetic resin itself without adding coloring material to the synthetic resin of the sheath 5. In the latter case, the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is not colored, namely, the sheath 5 is not colored. The outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 may be not colored, or have a monochrome color such as white. The first design pattern 7 and the second design pattern 8 are formed on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. The first design pattern 7 and the second design pattern 8 of this embodiment has a color B (indicated with parallel oblique lines in Fig. 3), which is different from the monochrome color P. The first design pattern 7 is a straight line in the plan view and extends from an end to the other end of the electric wire 3 in a longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3. The second design pattern 8 is a ring shaped mark formed over a whole circumference of the electric wire 3. The second design pattern 8 is only formed at one end of the electric wire 3 in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3. A plurality of wires 3 is bundled, and connectors are attached to respective ends of the wires 3, thereby constructing the wiring harness. The connectors are coupled with respective mating connectors of various electronic components in a vehicle and the like, thereby the wires 3 of the wiring harness transmit various signals and electric power to the electronic components. The wires 3 are distinguishable from one another by changing the color B of the first design pattern 7. Namely, the color B of the first design pattern 7 is used to distinguish types of the wires 3 in the wiring harness or systems. Further, destinations to be connected of the electric wire 3 are distinguishable by changing the color B of the second design pattern 8. In this embodiment, the colors of the first design pattern 7 and the second design pattern 8 are the same _„

color B, however, if necessary, the colors may be different from each other.

In this embodiment, the first design pattern 7 and the second design pattern 8 are respectively formed by two types of coloring material which are the same color (color B) and have different viscosities. The viscosity of the coloring material forming the second design pattern 8 is lower than that of the coloring material forming the first design pattern 7.

In this description, the coloring material means a liquid substance, in which a coloring material (organic substance for use in industry) is dissolved and dispersed in water or other solvent. The organic substance described above is a dye or a pigment (most of them being organic substances and synthetic substances). Sometimes, a dye is used as a pigment and a pigment is used as a dye. As a more concrete example, the coloring material is a coloring liquid or coating material. The coloring liquid is a liquid, in which a dye is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent. The coating material is a material, in which a pigment is dispersed in a liquid dispersion. When the coloring liquid is deposited on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, the dye permeates into the coating 5. When the coating material is deposited on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, the pigment is deposited on the outer surface 3a without permeating into the coating 5. Thus, "to color the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3" means to dye a part of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 with a dye or to coat a part of the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 with a pigment. Preferably, the solvent and liquid dispersion have an affinity to the synthetic resin that constitutes the coating 5 in order to securely permeate the dye into the coating 5 or to allow the pigment to securely be deposited on the outer surface 3a. As shown in Fig. 1, the coloring apparatus 1 includes^ a first forming unit 20 for rapidly forming the first design pattern 7 on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3; a second forming unit 30 for forming the second design pattern 8 on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 on which the first design pattern 7 is formed; a coloring material supplying unit 40 for supplying later-described coloring material to later-described coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c of the first forming unit 20, and later-described coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c of the second forming unit 3O₅ ^" and a controller 50 connected to the first forming unit 20, the second forming unit 30, and the coloring material supplying unit 40 for driving them. Further, the controller 50 includes^ a control unit having well-known RAM, ROM, CPU; and drivers for driving the first forming unit 20, the second forming unit 30, and the coloring material supplying unit 40. The controller 50 controls a whole coloring material supplying unit 40. Later- described coloring data is stored in the ROM of the controller 50.

The first forming unit 20 includes : a frame installed on a floor of such as a factory, and extended horizontally; a guide roll 22 mounted rotatably on an end of the frame, on which the continuous electric wire 3 having no design pattern is wound; a transferring mechanism 23 disposed at an end side of the frame; a measuring machine 24 disposed at the other end side of the frame; a cutting mechanism 25 disposed at the other end side of the frame; and three coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c interposed between the transferring mechanism 23 and the measuring machine 24.

In the transferring mechanism 23, a pair of rotors rotating at the same revolutions in reverse directions each other by a motor connected to the _n

controller 50 catches the electric wire 3. Then, the pair of rotors pulls the electric wire 3 from the guide roll 22 in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3, and pushes the electric wire 3 in a high speed toward the measuring machine 24 in a direction of an arrow K in Fig. 1. Namely, the arrow K indicates a moving direction of the electric wire 3. Thus, the transferring mechanism 23 moves the electric wire 3 in a high speed in the moving direction K relative to the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, and 21c.

In the measuring machine 24, a pair of rotors rotating at the same revolutions in reverse directions each other by a motor catches the electric wire 3 moved by the transferring mechanism 23, pushes . toward the cutting mechanism 25, and outputs data corresponding to a travel distance of the electric wire 3 along the arrow K. When the rotors rotate at a specific angle, the measuring machine 24 measures the data corresponding to the travel distance of the electric wire 3 owing to friction between the rotors and the electric wire 3, and outputs pulse signals toward the controller 50.

The cutting machine 25 is disposed downstream of the measuring machine 24 in the transferring direction K of the electric wire 3. The cutting machine 25 includes the pair of cutting blades. The pair of cutting blades is attached to and detached from each other according to an instruction from the controller 50. When approaching each other, the pair of cutting blades catches and cuts the electric wire 3 transferred by the measuring machine 24 in between the cutting blades. Then, the pair of cutting blades detaches from each other and detaches from the electric wire 3. The instruction from the controller 50 is outputted based on the data corresponding to the travel distance of the electric wire 3 measured by the measuring machine 24. Namely, according to the data corresponding to the travel distance of the electric wire 3 measured by the measuring machine 24, the transferring mechanism 23 is stopped and the cutting mechanism 25 is driven to cut the continuous electric wire 3 at the predetermined length. The coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c have well-known structures, and are supported by the unit main body fixed to the frame. The coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c jet a predetermined amount of the liquid coloring material from the later-described coloring material supplying unit 40 onto the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 which is moving according to the instruction from the controller 50 to form the above -described first design pattern 7 on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. Namely, the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c color or mark the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. Here, "jet" means that the liquid coloring material is spouted toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 from the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c in a state of liquid. The three coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c respectively jet the coloring material having different colors from each other. Namely, the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c are provided by the colors of the coloring material (the number of the coloring nozzles is equal to the number of colors of the coloring material). According to this embodiment, the coloring nozzle 21a having the coloring material of the color B forms the first design pattern 7 of the color B.

After the first design pattern 7 is formed by the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c (in this embodiment, only the coloring nozzle 21a is used), the electric wire 3 cut in the predetermined length by the cutting mechanism 25 is transferred to the second forming unit 30 next to the first forming unit 20. The second forming unit 30 includes^ a second frame next to the frame ₃

and extended horizontally; a pair of fixed bases 33 disposed with a gap on the second frame, on which both ends of the electric wire 3 transferred from the first forming unit 20 are positioned; a plurality of holding members 32 respectively mounted on the pair of fixed bases 33 for holding both ends of the electric wire 3; a transferring member for transferring the pair of fixed bases 33 in a direction L perpendicular to a direction of arranging the fixed bases 33 (a direction indicated by an arrow L in Fig. 1, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3); and three coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c interposed between the pair of fixed bases 33. The plurality of holding members 32 respectively mounted on the fixed bases 33 are arranged with gaps along the direction L. Namely, the plurality of electric wires 3 sequentially transferred from the first forming unit 20 are arranged parallel to each other with gaps along the direction L, and transferred along the direction L by the transferring member. The transferring member transfers the electric wires 3 along the direction L perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3, namely, transfers relatively the later-described coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c and the electric wires 3 along the direction L. Namely, the electric wires 3 arranged parallel to each other sequentially pass under the coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c along the direction L. The coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c have well-known structures, and are supported by a unit main body fixed to the second frame. The coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c sequentially jet a predetermined amount of the liquid coloring material from the later-described coloring material supplying unit 40 onto the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 which is positioned thereunder according to the instruction from the controller 50 to sequentially form the above-described second design pattern 8 on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. Namely, the coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c color or mark the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3.

The three coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c respectively jet the coloring material having different colors from each other. Namely, the coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c are provided by the colors of the coloring material (the number of the coloring nozzles is equal to the number of colors of the coloring material). According to this embodiment, the coloring nozzle 31a having the coloring material of the color B forms the second design pattern 8 of the color B. The coloring nozzle 31a jets the coloring material having the same color as that of the coloring nozzle 21a, and having lower viscosity than that of the coloring nozzle 21a. Similarly, the coloring nozzle 31b jets the coloring material having the same color as that of the coloring nozzle 21b, and having lower viscosity than that of the coloring nozzle 21b. Similarly, the coloring nozzle 31c jets the coloring material having the same color as that of the coloring nozzle

21c, and having lower viscosity than that of the coloring nozzle 21c. The coloring material jetted from the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c is the first coloring material in claims, and the coloring material jetted from the coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c is the second coloring material in claims. Here, the same color means a color that is visibly recognized as the same color.

The coloring nozzles 31a, 31b, 31c jet the second coloring material having lower viscosity onto the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. The coloring material jetted on a top of the outer surface 3a surrounds on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 around the circumference of the electric wire 3. Thus, the second design pattern 8 is formed. According to this embodiment, because , ,

15

the second coloring material has low viscosity, the second coloring material surely surrounds on the electric wire 3 around the circumference of the electric wire 3, and the second design pattern 8 is properly formed. Incidentally, according to the present invention, a coloring nozzle moving around the circumference of the electric wire 3 may be used.

The coloring material supplying unit 40 supplies the first or second coloring material to the coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c, 31a, 31b, 31c according to the coloring data stored in the ROM of the controller 50. The coloring data is associated with a combination of available coloring nozzles 21a, 21b, 21c, 31a, 31b, 31c and types of coloring material to be supplied, a composing ratio of the undiluted material and the diluting material for the second coloring material, a timing of opening and closing later-described valves Vl to V16, and the like. the coloring material supplying unit 40 includes: a pressurized gas supplying source 45; three undiluted material container 41a, 41b, 41c for receiving undiluted coloring material of which color are different from each other> ^'■ a diluting material container 42 for receiving the diluting material for diluting the undiluted material; three mixing members 43a, 43b, 43c for mixing the undiluted material and the diluting material; and a plurality of tubes and valves connected to them. The diluting material reduces the concentration and the viscosity of the undiluted material by diluting the undiluted material. For example, a solvent of the undiluted material may be used as the diluting material. In the present invention, the undiluted coloring material is the first coloring material, and the undiluted material, namely, the first coloring material diluting by the diluting material is the second coloring material. The second coloring material satisfies preservation stability, fastness properties, and color property. Here, "satisfying color property" means that the color of the second coloring material is visually recognized the same as the color of the first coloring material.

The pressurized gas supplying source 45 supplies the pressurized gas to the undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c and the diluting material container 42. Tubes 241a, 241b, 241c are interposed between the pressurized gas supplying source 45 and the undiluted material container 41a, 41b, 41c, and connected to both of them. The valves Vl to V3 are respectively attached to the tubes 241a, 241b, 241c. Similarly, a tube 242 is interposed between the pressurized gas supplying source 45 and the diluting material container 42, and connected to both of them. The valve V4 is attached to the tube 242. The valves Vl to V4 allow the gas to flow in a direction from the pressurized gas supplying source 45 to the undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c, and the diluting material container 42, and prevent the gas from flowing in the reverse direction. The controller 50 controls to open/close the valves Vl to V4.

According to the instruction from the controller 50 based on the coloring data, the pressurized gas supplying source 45 supplies the pressurized gas to the undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c, and the diluting material container 42, and resultingly pressurizes the undiluted material in the undiluted material container 41a, 41b, 41c, and the diluting material in the diluting material container 42. Predetermined amounts of the pressurized undiluted material and the pressurized diluting material are supplied to the later-described mixing members 43a, 43b, 43c.

The three mixing members 43a, 43b, 43c respectively includes two tubes and connected to the undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c, and the diluting material container 42. Namely, the mixing member 43a is connected to the undiluted material container 41a through the tube 141a, and connected to the diluting material container 42 through the tube 142a. Similarly, the mixing member 43b is connected to the undiluted material container 41b through the tube 141b, and connected to the diluting material container 42 through the tube 142b. Similarly, the mixing member 43c is connected to the undiluted material container 41c through the tube 141c, and connected to the diluting material container 42 through the tube 142c. Namely, each of undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c corresponds to each of mixing members 43a, 43b, 43c. Further, the diluting material container 42 is connected to all of the mixing members 43a, 43b, 43c. The valves V5 to VlO are respectively connected to the tubes 141a, 142a, 141b, 142b, 141c, 142c. The valves V5 to VlO allow the undiluted material or the diluting material to flow in a direction from the undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c and the diluting material container 42 to the mixing members 43a, 43b, 43c, and prevent them from flowing in the reverse direction. The controller 50 controls to open/close the valves V5 to VlO.

A stirring vane 432 is extended from an end to another end of a case 431, and formed in a helical shape around a center axis of the case 431. The undiluted material and the diluting material supplied into the case 431 are twisted along a surface of the stirring vale 432, and supplied to the coloring nozzle 21a or 31a through the tubs 121a or 131a.

The undiluted material and the diluting material are supplied into the case 431 according to the coloring data. Namely, when the first coloring material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 21a according to the coloring data, the valves V5 and VIl are open, and the valves V6 and V12 are closed. Then, _{1 0}

Io

the undiluted material, namely, the first coloring material supplied from the undiluted material container 41a through the tube 141a only passes an inside of the case 431, and the first coloring material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 21a through the tube 121a. When the second coloring material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 31a according to the coloring data, the valves V5, V6, and V12 are open, and the valve VlI is closed. Then, the undiluted material, namely, the first coloring material supplied from the undiluted material container 41a through the tube 141a and the diluting material supplied from the diluting material container 42 through the tube 142a are stirred and mixed in the case 431, and the second coloring material which is a mixture of the undiluted material and the diluting material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 31a through the tube 131a.

Similar to the mixing member 43a, an end of the mixing member 43b is connected to the tubes 141b and 142b, and the other end of the mixing member 43b is connected to the tubes 121b and 131b. The tube 121b is connected to the coloring nozzle 21b, and the tube 131b is connected to the coloring nozzle 31b. Further, the valve V13 is attached to the tube 121b, and the valve 14 is attached to the tube 131b. According to the coloring data, the first coloring material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 21b, and the second coloring material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 31b.

Similarly to the mixing members 43a, 43b, an end of the mixing member 43c is connected to the tubes 141c, 142c, and the other end of the mixing member 43c is connected to the tubes 121c, 131c. The tube 121c is connected to the coloring nozzle 21c, and the tube 131c is connected to the coloring nozzle 31c. According to the coloring data, the first coloring material is supplied to the ^

coloring nozzle 21c, and the second coloring material is supplied to the coloring nozzle 31c.

The controller 50 for driving the coloring material supplying unit 40 according to the coloring data is a controller in claims. Namely, the coloring material supplying unit 40 is connected to the controller 50. Namely, the coloring material supplying unit 40 includes the controller.

When the coloring apparatus 1 having the constitution described above forms the design patterns 7, 8 on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, namely, colors the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, firstly the guide roll 22 is mounted on the frame 10. After a pair of cutting blades of the cutting mechanism 25 is set apart from each other, the electric wire 3 rolled on the guide roll 22 is caught between the rotors of the transferring mechanism 23 and caught between the rotors of the measuring machine 24.

Then, after the coloring apparatus 1 starts, the transferring mechanism 23 pulls the electric wire 3 from the guide roll 22, and transports the electric wire 3 to the measuring machine 24. Then, when a pulse signal is inputted into the controller 50 from the measuring machine 24, the controller 50 makes the coloring material supplying unit 40 supply the first coloring material into the coloring nozzle 21a, and makes the coloring nozzle 21a jet a predetermined amount of the first coloring material toward the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 according to the coloring data. Then, the solvent or the liquid dispersion is evaporated from the first coloring material deposited on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, thereby the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is dyed with the dye or coated with the pigment. Thus, the first forming unit 20 colors the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, and forms the first design pattern 7. _2Q

When judging that the controller 50 delivers a specific length of the electric wire 3 according to the data from the measuring machine 24, the controller 50 stops the transferring mechanism 23, and send an instruction to the cutting mechanism 25. Then, the pair of cutting blades of the cutting mechanism 25 approaches to each other, and cuts the electric wire 3. Then, successively, the electric wires 3 cut in a specific length are transferred to the second forming unit 30. The holding members 32 hold both ends of the electric wire 3, and the transferring member transfers the fixed bases 33.

When the fixed bases 33 are transferred, the controller 50 makes the coloring material supplying unit 40 supply the second coloring material into the coloring nozzle 31a, and makes the coloring nozzle 31a jet a predetermined amount of the second coloring material onto the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 according to the coloring data. Then, the solvent or the liquid dispersion is evaporated from the second coloring material deposited on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, thereby the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 is dyed with the dye or coated with the pigment. Thus, the second forming unit 30 colors the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3, and forms the second design pattern 8. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, the first and second design patterns 7, 8 are formed on the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3. According to this embodiment, the coloring apparatus 1 can supply six types of coloring material in total with three types of undiluted material having different colors and the diluting material, in which the first coloring material is composed of three types of material having different colors for forming the first design pattern 7, and the second coloring material is composed of three types of materials each of which is the same color as the first coloring material, and has viscosity different from the first coloring material for forming the second design pattern 8. Thus, 2 types of design patterns 7, 8 can be formed with one undiluted material. Because many kinds of coloring material can be supplied with relatively few kinds of undiluted material, the first and second design patterns 7, 8 can be formed with a low cost owing to a large-scale production of the undiluted material. Further, because the coloring apparatus 1 can be slim and simple, and an amount of work for supplying the undiluted material to the undiluted material containers 41a, 41b, 41c is reduced, the cost can be further reduced. In this embodiment, the coloring apparatus 1 forms both the first and second design patterns 7, 8. However, the coloring apparatus 1 can form either the first design pattern 7 or the second design pattern 8.

In the embodiment described above, the electric wire 3 constituting a wire harness arranged in a vehicle is described. However, the electric wire 3 is not only applied to a vehicle, but also applied to various electronic apparatuses such as a computer, or various electric machines.

Although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention hereinafter defined, they should be construed as being included therein. Industrial applicability

According to the present invention claimed in claim 1, the coloring material supplying unit can supply equal to or more than two types of the coloring material having the same color and different viscosity using one type of the undiluted material and the diluting material. Namely, when the coloring apparatus includes a plurality of undiluted material containers having different colors, the coloring apparatus can supply the coloring material equal to or more than twice of the number of the undiluted material containers with a common diluting material container. Therefore, a plurality of types of design patterns can be formed with relatively few kinds of undiluted material. Therefore, the electric wire having design patterns can be formed with a low cost owing to a large-scale production of the undiluted material. Further, because the coloring apparatus 1 can be slim and simple, and an amount of work for supplying the undiluted material to the undiluted material containers is reduced, the cost can be further reduced.

According to the present invention claimed in claim 2, because the first coloring material having relatively high viscosity composed of only undiluted material is supplied to the first forming unit, and jetted onto the outer surface of the electric wire, the first coloring material is prevented from dripping, and the good first design pattern composed of the straight line or dots along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire can be rapidly formed. Further, because the second coloring material having relatively low viscosity mixed of the undiluted material and the diluting material is supplied to the second forming unit and jetted onto the outer surface of the electric wire, the second coloring unit surely surrounds the electric wire around the axis thereof, and the good second design pattern composed of the ring-shaped mark formed over the whole circumference of the electric wire can be formed.

Claims

1. An electric wire coloring apparatus comprising: a first forming unit having a coloring nozzle for jetting liquid coloring material onto an outer surface of the electric wire, said first forming unit configured to form a first design pattern on the outer surface; a second forming unit having another coloring nozzle, configured to form a second design pattern which is different from the first design pattern on the outer surfaces and a coloring material supplying unit configured to supply the coloring material to the coloring nozzles of both the first and the second forming units, wherein said coloring material supplying unit comprises: an undiluted material container configured to receive the undiluted material of the coloring material" a diluting material container configured to receive the diluting material for diluting the undiluted material; a mixing member communicating with the undiluted material container and the diluting material container, configured to mix the undiluted material and the diluting material; and a controller for supplying first coloring material composed of the undiluted material to the coloring nozzle of the first forming unit, and supplying second coloring material mixed of the undiluted and diluting material in a predetermined ratio to the coloring nozzle of the second forming unit according to predetermined coloring data.

2. The electric wire coloring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first forming unit rapidly forms the first design pattern composed of a straight line or dots formed along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and the second forming unit forms the second design pattern composed of a mark having a ring shape formed over a whole circumference of the electric wire.