JP2005122954A - Manufacturing device and manufacturing method of connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently manufacture a connector by smoothly and surely performing terminal insertion and inspection. <P>SOLUTION: The manufacturing device of the connector 1 comprises a holder 5 holding a connector housing 2, a first transfer mechanism 7 transferring the holder to a terminal insertion process or to a following process, a second transfer mechanism 12 transferring the connector 10 in sliding from the holder to a guide holder 13, a terminal locking confirmation mechanism 14 confirming locking of the terminal with the connector in the guide holder, and a push-out mechanism 4 making the connector housing 2 slide from a housing setting part 3 to the holder 5. A transfer holder 62 making the connector 10 transfer to the guide holder 13 in sliding by the second transfer mechanism 12, and a driving means making the transfer holder move toward a defective connector ejection side, are provided adjacent to the guide holder 13. The terminal locking confirmation mechanism 14 is provided with a means 68 fixing the connector to the guide holder 13, and a push pin 70 pushing the terminal in a pull-out direction with a prescribed force. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector manufacturing apparatus and a connector manufacturing method in which a terminal is inserted into a connector housing to constitute a connector, and the connector is transferred and checked after the terminal is locked, etc.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are two types of terminal insertion devices, one that inserts a crimp terminal into a connector housing and one that inserts a pressure contact terminal into the connector housing. The crimp terminal is inserted into the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing in the connector fitting direction with the terminal with the wire crimped, and the pressure contact terminal is in the state in which the electric wire is not pressed (with the terminal alone), in the connector fitting orthogonal direction. It is mainly the one that is inserted into the terminal insertion groove of the connector housing.

  Each terminal has a male or female electrical contact portion with respect to the mating terminal on one side and a wire crimping portion or a wire pressure contact portion on the other side, and a connector is constituted by the connector housing and the terminal.

  The crimping of the electric wire is performed by crimping the core wire of the electric wire with a pair of right and left crimping pieces, and the pressure welding of the electric wire is performed without peeling off the insulation-coated electric wire and between the pair of right and left pressure welding pieces (pressure welding blades) ( The core wire is press-fitted into the slot while cutting the coating with the blade at the tip of the press-contacting piece.

  In the case of a crimp terminal insertion device, as an example, hold the clip jig with an electric wire, peel off the tip of the electric wire, crimp the terminal to the exposed core wire, hold the terminal or electric wire with the hand of the insertion head, and clip Remove it from the jig and carry it to the connector housing on the set base, insert the terminal into the required terminal accommodating chamber, and lock it with the locking lance.

  In the case of a pressure contact terminal insertion device, as an example, the cover of the connector housing is opened to expose the terminal insertion groove, and the pressure contact terminals are cut from the state of horizontal chain terminals (a plurality of pressure contact terminals connected by a chain band). While inserting into the terminal insertion groove, it is locked with the locking claw. Then, an electric wire is press-contacted to a press-contact terminal by another process.

  However, in the above-described conventional press-contact terminal insertion device, when the electrical contact portion is inserted into the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing in the connector fitting direction (horizontal) like a crimp terminal, or the vertical rising piece of the terminal In the case of inserting a terminal using a press contact terminal in which the press contact blade is protruded in the terminal detachment direction (horizontal) from the terminal, not only the terminal insertion but also the check and device for checking the terminal lock after the terminal insertion, etc. There is a problem that the connector housing and the connector after inserting the terminal cannot be smoothly and efficiently carried.

  In view of the above, the present invention inserts a pressure contact terminal into a connector housing in the connector fitting direction like a crimp terminal, and efficiently and reliably conveys the connector housing and the connector, confirms terminal locking, and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector manufacturing apparatus and a connector manufacturing method that can be performed.

  To achieve the above object, a connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a holder for holding a connector housing, a first moving mechanism for moving the holder to a terminal insertion process or a next process, and the holder. And a second moving mechanism for sliding the connector to the guide holder, and a terminal locking confirmation mechanism for the connector in the guide holder.

  With the above configuration, the terminal is inserted into the connector housing with the holder holding the connector housing to configure the connector, and the connector is moved together with the holder to the front of the guide holder by the first moving mechanism. In front of the guide holder, as a next process, for example, an image processing inspection of a connector terminal can be performed. The connector is slid from the holder to the guide holder by the second moving mechanism, and the terminal locking confirmation is performed by the terminal locking confirmation mechanism while being held by the guide holder. The connector is smoothly transferred from the holder to the guide holder in a sliding manner, so that the terminal locking can be confirmed smoothly.

  A connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing set portion for setting the connector housing; and an extrusion mechanism for sliding the connector housing from the housing set portion to the holder. It is characterized by providing.

  With the above configuration, the connector housing is placed on the housing set portion, and is slidably moved into the holder by the push-out mechanism. The operator needs only a simple operation of placing the connector housing on the housing set portion.

  A connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector manufacturing apparatus is adjacent to the guide holder, and the second moving mechanism slides the connector from the guide holder. Drive means for moving the payout holder to the defective connector discharge side.

  With the above configuration, the connector is transferred from the guide holder to the payout holder by the second moving mechanism, and the non-defective product (terminal locking confirmation OK, etc.) connector passes through the payout holder and is paid out to the outside (product box, etc.). Then, the connector of the defective product (terminal locking confirmation NG or the like) is held by the payout holder, moved to the defective product discharge side by the driving means, and is discharged to the outside (defective product box or the like).

  The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second moving mechanism moves the connector from the holder to the guide holder; The connector is integrally provided with an arm for discharging the connector from the guide holder and moving the connector to the outside through the holder.

  With the above configuration, the hand holds both sides of the connector and slides from the holder to the guide holder, and the arm, together with the hand, presses one side of the connector and slides to move from the guide holder to the payout holder or to the outside of the payout holder Let The two connectors are moved simultaneously by the hand and the arm. The connector is carried to the terminal lock confirmation process by the hand, and at the same time the non-defective connector passes through the payout holder by the arm and is discharged to the outside in the terminal lock check process, and the defective connector is held by the payout holder and is armed. At the outside.

  The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holder, the guide holder, the housing set part, and the payout holder are substantially U-shaped in vertical section. It is formed in a shape.

  With the above configuration, a substantially U-shaped holder, a guide holder, a housing set part, and a payout holder, which are surrounded on three sides by a horizontal upper wall, a lower wall, and a vertical front wall, are configured. It is slid horizontally along the wall. The upper wall prevents the connector housing and the connector from being lifted up, and the vertical front wall positions the front end (end portion in the terminal insertion direction) of the connector housing and the connector.

  The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal locking confirmation mechanism fixes the connector to the guide holder; And a push pin that presses in a pulling direction with a predetermined force.

  With the above configuration, the push pin presses the terminal of the connector in the extraction direction in a state where the connector is fixed in the guide holder. When the terminal is not fully locked to the connector housing, the terminal moves in the direction of extraction, for example, the compression stroke of the push pin is insufficient, the internal switch does not turn on, and a defective terminal lock is detected. .

  The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the push pin presses a portion other than the electrical contact portion of the terminal through a through hole other than the terminal insertion hole of the connector housing. It is characterized by that.

  With the above configuration, the locking confirmation is surely performed without damaging or deforming the electrical contact portion of the terminal with the push pin. For example, a through hole of the connector housing can be used for a continuity check at the time of maintenance, and a vertical rising portion bent in an L shape on the side of the electric wire connecting portion can be applied to the pressing portion of the terminal, for example.

  The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8 is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the holder is inverted up and down by an inversion mechanism.

  With the above configuration, with the holder turned upside down, the terminal is turned upside down and inserted into the connector housing, or the image processing (inspection) of the wire connection part of the terminal is turned upside down in the next process. It can be carried out.

  The connector manufacturing apparatus according to a ninth aspect is the connector manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the next step is an image processing step of the terminal of the connector.

  With the above configuration, after inserting a terminal into the connector housing in the holder, the dimensions of the wire connection part (pressure contact blade) of the terminal are inspected accurately and quickly by image processing, and then the connector is transferred to the guide holder. Check that the terminal is locked.

  In the connector manufacturing method according to claim 10, the connector housing is held by a holder, the holder is moved to the terminal insertion process or the next process by the first moving mechanism, and the connector is moved from the holder to the guide holder by the second moving mechanism. And the terminal locking confirmation mechanism confirms terminal locking of the connector in the guide holder.

  With the above configuration, the terminal is inserted into the connector housing with the holder holding the connector housing to configure the connector, and the connector is moved together with the holder to the front of the guide holder by the first moving mechanism. In front of the guide holder, as a next process, for example, an image processing inspection of a connector terminal can be performed. The connector is slid from the holder to the guide holder by the second moving mechanism, and the terminal locking confirmation is performed by the terminal locking confirmation mechanism while being held by the guide holder. The connector is smoothly transferred from the holder to the guide holder in a sliding manner, so that the terminal locking can be confirmed smoothly.

  The connector manufacturing method according to claim 11 is the connector manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the connector is slid from the guide holder to the payout holder by the second moving mechanism, and the payout holder is moved to cause a defective connector. It is characterized by sorting.

  With the above configuration, the connector is transferred from the guide holder to the payout holder by the second moving mechanism, and the non-defective product (terminal locking confirmation OK, etc.) connector passes through the payout holder and is paid out to the outside (product box, etc.). Then, the connector of the defective product (terminal locking confirmation NG or the like) is held by the payout holder, moved to the defective product discharge side by the driving means, and is discharged to the outside (defective product box or the like).

  The connector manufacturing method according to claim 12 is the connector manufacturing method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the connector is moved from the holder to the guide holder by the hand of the second moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism The connector is discharged from the guide holder by the arm and moved to the outside through the holder.

  With the above configuration, the hand holds both sides of the connector and slides from the holder to the guide holder, and the arm, together with the hand, presses one side of the connector and slides to move from the guide holder to the payout holder or to the outside of the payout holder Let The two connectors are moved simultaneously by the hand and the arm. The connector is carried to the terminal lock confirmation process by the hand, and at the same time the non-defective connector passes through the payout holder by the arm and is discharged to the outside in the terminal lock check process, and the defective connector is held by the payout holder and is armed. At the outside.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, while the connector housing is held by the holder and conveyed by the first moving means, the insertion of the terminal and the inspection of the next process can be performed smoothly and efficiently, and reliably, By transferring the connector from the holder to the guide holder in a slidable manner using the second moving means, the terminal can be confirmed smoothly and efficiently. Thereby, productivity and quality of a connector can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the connector housing can be easily and efficiently supplied to the holder, the productivity of the connector can be further increased, and the burden on the operator can be reduced.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly and reliably sort the non-defective product and the defective product of the connector by the second moving means and the payout holder, thereby further improving the productivity and quality of the connector. it can.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the two connectors can be moved simultaneously by the hand and the arm, the carrying capacity of the connector can be increased, and the moving mechanism can be simplified.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the connector housing and the connector are supported by the substantially U-shaped holder, the guide holder, the housing set part, and the payout holder without gripping, and the mobility (rapidity of the connector housing and the connector) And the movement mechanism can be simplified.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the connector can be fixed in the middle of the guide holder, and the terminal locking can be confirmed smoothly and reliably, the connector quality is improved, and after the locking is confirmed, the connector It can be released smoothly and sent smoothly to the payout process.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to confirm the locking safely and reliably without damaging or deforming the electrical contact portion of the terminal with the push pin, and the quality of the connector is ensured.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform terminal insertion, image processing (inspection) of the next process, etc. easily and smoothly corresponding to a terminal inserted upside down in the connector housing. .

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to confirm the dimensional quality of the wire pressure contact portion of the terminal by image processing immediately after inserting the terminal, and the productivity and quality of the connector are increased.

  According to the invention of claim 10, while the connector housing is held by the holder and conveyed by the first moving means, the insertion of the terminal and the inspection of the next process can be performed smoothly and efficiently, and reliably, By transferring the connector from the holder to the guide holder in a slidable manner using the second moving means, the terminal can be confirmed smoothly and efficiently. Thereby, productivity and quality of a connector can be improved.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly and reliably sort the non-defective product and the defective product with the second moving means and the pay-out holder, thereby further improving the productivity and quality of the connector. it can.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the two connectors can be moved simultaneously by the hand and the arm, the carrying capacity of the connector can be enhanced, and the moving mechanism can be simplified.

  FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an embodiment of a connector manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

  The connector manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a housing set part 3 for setting a connector housing 2, an extrusion mechanism 4 for pushing out the connector housing 2 from the housing set part 3, and a holder 5 (FIG. 4) for holding the pushed connector housing 2. , A reversing mechanism 6 for reversing the holder 5, a first moving mechanism 7 for moving the holder 5 together with the reversing mechanism 6 horizontally in the apparatus longitudinal direction, and a pressure contact terminal 8 (FIG. 4) on the connector housing 2 in the holder 5. A terminal insertion mechanism 9 that is inserted in the connector fitting direction, an image processing mechanism 11 that inspects the press contact terminal 8 of the connector 10 (consisting of the connector housing 2 and the press contact terminal 8) in the holder 5, and the holder 5 to the connector 10 A second moving mechanism 12 that slides horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus, and a guide holder that receives the connector 10 from the holder 5 3 (FIG. 10), in which and a locking confirmation mechanism 14 to check the locking of the pressure contact terminal 8 of the connector 10 in the guide holder 13. The “mechanism” may be expressed as “machine” or “means”.

  As a connector manufacturing method (operation of the connector manufacturing apparatus 1), first, an operator or an automatic feeder (not shown) places the connector housing 2 on the housing set portion 3, and the push-out mechanism 4 places the connector housing 2 in the housing set portion. 3 is horizontally slid and transferred into a holder 5 (FIG. 4) having a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section, and the first moving mechanism 7 horizontally feeds the holder 5 together with the connector housing 2 to the terminal insertion mechanism 9. When the terminal insertion mechanism 9 inserts each press contact terminal 8 into each terminal accommodating chamber 15 (FIG. 6) of the connector housing 2 and inserts the terminal 8 upside down, the reversing mechanism 6 attaches the holder 5 to the connector. The entire housing 2 is inverted to insert the terminal, and then the first moving mechanism 7 images the connector 10 (the terminal 8 having been inserted into the connector housing 2) together with the holder 5. The image processing mechanism measures the inner width of the slot 17 of the press contact blade 16 (FIG. 8) of the press contact terminal 8 exposed to the rear end portion of the connector 10 and determines whether it is acceptable or not. The mechanism 12 slides and moves the connector 10 horizontally from the holder 5 into a guide holder 13 (FIG. 10) having a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section, and confirms locking of the terminal 8 of the connector 10 in the guide holder 13. The stop confirmation mechanism 14 performs a pass / fail judgment, and the second moving mechanism 12 slides out the OK connector 10 from the guide holder 13 into the product case and pays the NG product connector into another defective product case. put out.

  In this way, insertion of the press contact terminal 8 into the connector housing 2, dimensional quality check of the inserted press contact terminal 8 (reliability check of the wire connection portion 16), and locking of the press contact terminal 8 to the connector housing 2 Confirmation is performed smoothly and efficiently and reliably by a series of operations in one connector manufacturing apparatus 1.

  Below, the said connector manufacturing apparatus 1 is demonstrated in detail for every process (mechanism).

  FIG. 2 (front view) to FIG. 3 (side view) show an example of the housing setting portion 3 which is a housing setting process. An extrusion mechanism 4 (FIG. 2) is disposed adjacent to the housing set portion 3 on the front side in the housing feeding direction.

  The housing set part 3 has a horizontal groove-shaped housing mounting part 19 with the upper part opened, and the housing mounting part 19, and the upper and lower sides and the front side are surrounded by wall parts 20 to 22 in a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section. Each of which has a vertical auxiliary wall portion 24 that slides the rear end of the connector housing 2 on the rear side, and the insertion space 23 has openings on the left and right sides. The part 25 is provided with a housing detection sensor (not shown). The push-out mechanism 4 includes a horizontal push bar 26 and a cylinder 27 that moves the push bar 26 back and forth in the horizontal direction.

  When the operator sets the connector housing 2 on the housing mounting portion 19 and the sensor detects it and turns on the start button, the push rod 26 moves horizontally to insert the connector housing 2 of the housing mounting portion 19 into the insertion portion. By passing through the insertion part 25 and passing through the insertion part 25, the upper and lower erroneous setting of the connector housing 2 or a different product is detected, and the connector housing 2 slides horizontally on the holder 5 in the next process.

  FIG. 4 (side view) shows an example of the holder 5 and the reversing mechanism 6 for reversing it.

  The holder 5 is formed in a substantially U-shaped vertical cross section, and has a housing accommodating / inserting space 30 surrounded by at least three walls 27 to 29 on the upper and lower sides and the front side. A housing pressing portion 32 having an opening in a direction and biased in a vertical direction by a spring 31 is provided on a lower horizontal wall portion 28.

  A vertical front wall portion 29 of the holder 5 is connected to a horizontal shaft portion 33, and the shaft portion 33 is connected to a rotation shaft of the actuator 36 via a bearing 34 and a coupling 35 so as to be rotatable (reversed). Is supported by a vertical support 37, and the actuator 36 is connected to the support 37 by a horizontal connecting portion 38. The support 37 is attached to a slider 40 having a nut 39 as a first moving mechanism 7 as shown in FIG. 5 (plan view). The holder 5 and the actuator 36 are connected to be movable along a horizontal ball screw shaft 41. The first moving mechanism 7 includes a ball screw shaft 41, a nut 39 screwed to the ball screw shaft 41, and a servo motor 42 for rotating the screw shaft.

  In FIG. 4, the press contact terminal 8 is horizontally disposed in a state of a horizontal chain terminal facing the rear end of the connector housing 2 in the holder 5. For example, the horizontal chain terminal is fed out from a reel (not shown) and supplied in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus, and is inserted into the connector housing 2 by a terminal insertion mechanism 9 described later.

  In FIG. 5, in a state where the holder 5 is positioned at the right end of the ball screw shaft 41, the connector housing 2 is horizontally inserted into the holder 5 from the housing set portion 3 by the push rod 26 (FIG. 2). Next, the screw shaft 41 is rotated by driving the servo motor 42, and the holder 5 is sent to the terminal insertion process 9 (FIG. 1) in the middle of the screw shaft 41. Further, after the terminals are inserted, the connector 10 is sent together with the holder 5 to the image processing step 11 (FIG. 1) for terminal inspection on the left end side of the screw shaft 41.

  FIG. 6 (side view) to FIG. 7 (front view) show an example of the terminal insertion mechanism 9.

  The terminal insertion mechanism 9 includes a step of cutting the chain band 43 (FIGS. 7 and 8) of the horizontal chain terminal, and the press contact terminal 8 obtained by cutting the chain band 43 in the terminal accommodating chamber 15 of the connector housing 2. And the process of inserting.

  The chain 43 is cut by shearing the upper punch 44 and the lower punch 45, and the terminal 8 is inserted by pressing the rear portion of the terminal 8 with a horizontal push rod 46 by driving an air cylinder or the like. A plurality of press contact terminals 8 are connected to the chain band 43 in parallel at an equal pitch, and a claw of a rotating plate (not shown) is engaged with a feed hole (not shown) of the chain band 43 to cut the horizontal chain terminal. It is intermittently fed horizontally to (44, 45). When the press contact terminal 8 is turned upside down in the connector housing 2, the holder 5 is turned up and down 180 ° by the turning mechanism 6 and the terminal 8 is inserted in the same manner as described above.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the press contact terminal 8, which has a female electrical contact portion 48 on one side of the horizontal substrate portion 47 and a vertical rising portion 49 on the other side of the substrate portion 47. A pair of upper and lower press contact blades 16 are horizontally provided on the upper end side of the raising portion 49. The electric contact portion 48 has a flexible locking piece 50 on the outer side of the rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall, and has a contact spring piece 51 on the inner side. Each press contact blade 16 has a pair of left and right press contact pieces 52 and a slot between them. 17.

  The front end of the locking piece 50 comes into contact with the open end (engagement portion) 53a of the horizontal partition wall 53 of the connector housing 2 (FIG. 6). It is also possible to provide a male electrical contact portion instead of the female electrical contact portion 48. It is also possible to provide the locking piece 50 on the connector housing 2 instead of the terminal 8 and to provide an engaging portion for the locking piece on the terminal 8.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of the connector 10 in a state where the press contact terminal 8 is partially inserted into the connector housing 2. A connector 10 is composed of the connector housing 2 made of synthetic resin and the terminals 8 made of conductive metal.

  The connector housing 2 has a plurality of horizontal terminal accommodating chambers 15 in parallel at the center in the height direction, and vertical rising pieces of the pressure contact terminals 8 above and below the terminal accommodating chambers 15 at the rear end of the connector housing 2. The seating surfaces 54 to which 49 is closely attached are arranged in parallel and in a staggered manner in the upper and lower sides. Each seat surface 54 is provided with a horizontal through hole 55 (see also FIG. 6). Using this through-hole 55, a continuity check of the terminal 8 at the time of maintenance and a terminal locking check described later are performed. By not pressing the electrical contact portion 48 of the terminal 8 from the mating terminal insertion hole 56 (FIG. 6) of the connector housing 2, deformation or the like of the contact spring piece 51 is prevented.

  An electric wire guiding rib 57 (FIG. 9) is provided perpendicular to the seating surface 54, the rising piece 49 of the terminal 8 is in close contact with the seating surface 54 as shown in FIG. 6, and the press contact blade 16 is exposed along the rib 57. Is located. An electric wire is press-contacted to the press contact blade 16 in a process different from that of the apparatus 1. On the upper wall of the connector housing 2, a lock arm 58 and a guide rib 59 for the mating connector are provided. When a male electrical contact portion is used instead of the female electrical contact portion 48 of the terminal 8, a connector fitting chamber (not shown) is provided in the first half of the connector housing.

  Image processing (reference numeral 11 in FIG. 1) of the press contact blade 16 of the press contact terminal 8 of the connector 10 is performed in a state where the holder 5 in FIG. 5 is positioned closer to the left end (terminal) of the first moving mechanism 7. In the image processing, the inner width of each slot 17 of the pair of upper and lower press contact blades 16 of one press contact terminal 8 is measured simultaneously from obliquely above. When measuring the press contact blade 17 of the press contact terminal 8 turned upside down, the measurement is performed in a state where the holder 5 is turned upside down by the reversing mechanism 6. Image processing will be described in detail in a separate application.

  The connector 10 that has finished the image processing of the terminal 8 is carried to the next terminal locking confirmation step 14 by the second moving mechanism 12 as shown in FIGS. 10 (plan view) to FIG. 11 (side view), or defective in image processing. Is discharged to the defective product storage area by the second moving mechanism 12 without confirming terminal locking.

  The second moving mechanism 12 includes a horizontal hand 60 for horizontally moving the connector 10 from the holder 5 to a guide holder 13 having a U-shaped longitudinal section that extends horizontally in series with the holder 5, a hand parallel to the hand 60, and a hand 60 and a dispensing arm 61 provided integrally therewith, and the guide holder 13 continues horizontally in series to a dispensing holder 62 having a U-shaped longitudinal section.

  The guide holder 13 is formed longer than the holder 5 in the horizontal direction, and has a connector housing / insertion space 66 surrounded by walls 63 to 65 on the upper and lower sides and the front side. The space 66 is open on the left and right sides and the rear side. have. An opening 67 for fixing the connector is provided in the upper wall 63 in the left half of the guide holder 13. The guide holder 13 is fixed to the apparatus frame (base).

  The hand 60 is formed by a pair of left and right horizontal arms 60a having a U-shape with an inner width slightly wider than the entire width of the connector 10, and can enter the holder 5 horizontally from its rear opening to hold the rear portion of the connector 10. It is. The hand 60 does not open and close, but simply contacts both side surfaces of the connector 10. The arm 61 projects forward with the same projecting amount as the hand 60, and is parallel to the direction (left-right direction) parallel to the guide holder 13 (front-rear direction) by two horizontal 90 ° cylinders (drive means not shown) together with the hand 60. Direction).

  As with the guide holder 13 and the holder 5, the payout holder 62 is surrounded by walls on the upper and lower sides and the front side, has a connector insertion space on the inside, the space has openings on the left and right, and a horizontal cylinder (drive not shown) Means) can be moved back and forth in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide holder 13.

  A vertical fixing hand (fixing means) 68 is arranged above the opening 67 on the left half side of the guide holder 13 so as to be moved up and down by a cylinder (driving means). The fixing hand 68 has an inner width slightly wider than the entire width of the connector 10, and can be fixed by pressing both ends of the upper wall of the connector 10 downward in the guide holder 13.

  In FIG. 10, the moving hand 60 moves forward to hold the rear portion of the connector 10 in the holder 5, and the hand 60 moves leftward to move the connector 10 into the guide holder 13 horizontally in a sliding manner. The connector 10 is located in the left half of the guide holder 13, and the fixing hand 68 descends from above and presses and fixes both upper sides of the connector 10 in the opening 67.

  An opening 69 for inserting a push pin is provided on the vertical front wall 65 of the left half of the guide holder 13 so as to face the connector 10. In the opening 69, horizontal push pins (probe pins) 70 for confirming terminal locking are disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat. Each push pin 70 is fixed to a front block 71, and the block 71 is a horizontal cylinder (drive means). It can move in the front-rear direction. The terminal locking confirmation mechanism 14 is configured by the fixing hand 68, the plurality of push pins 70, the block 71, and each cylinder (not shown).

  The push pin 70 is formed in a longitudinally intermediate portion via a coil spring (not shown) so as to expand and contract. When a predetermined pressing force is applied, the coil spring is compressed and an internal switch (not shown) is turned on. The signal is transmitted to a controller (not shown) via a lead wire. The push pin 70 pushes the vertical rising piece 49 of the press contact terminal 8 through the through hole 55 of the connector housing 2 in a terminal extracting direction with a predetermined force.

  When the terminal 8 is not completely locked, the terminal 8 is pushed backward from the connector housing 2 by the force of the push pin 70, the compression stroke of the push pin 70 is insufficient, and the push pin 70 is not switched on. Terminal locking failure is detected. When the terminal 8 is completely locked, the push pin 70 pushes the terminal 8 backward with a predetermined force, the push pin 70 is compressed with a predetermined stroke, the internal switch is turned on, and the terminal lock is surely secured. It is detected that there is. Each terminal 8 is confirmed to be locked at the same time, and for example, the position of the abnormal terminal is displayed on the screen.

  The non-defective connector which has been subjected to the image processing and the terminal locking confirmation is sent from the guide holder 13 to the chute (not shown) through the discharge holder 62 on the left side by the arm 61 and discharged from the chute to the product box. The arm 61 moves forward with the moving hand 60, and the arm 61 contacts the right end surface of the left connector 10 at the same time as the hand 60 holds the right connector 10, and each connector 10 slides along the guide holder 13 together with the hand 60. Let At this time, the upper fixing hand 68 is raised and retracted.

  The connector 10 in which an abnormality is detected by the image processing or the terminal locking confirmation is sent to the payout holder 62 by the arm 61. After the retreating operation of the payout holder 62, the arm 61 and the hand 60, the arm 61 serves as a defective product discharge chute. Extruded. At that time, the connector 10 from the holder 5 stays in the right half of the guide holder 13, for example, is re-held by the hand 60 that has moved right and moved forward, and is sent to the terminal locking confirmation step 14. The payout holder 62 can be moved in the front-rear direction by a horizontal cylinder (drive means) 72.

  Through the steps described above, the insertion of the press contact terminal 8 into the connector housing 2, the image processing and the locking confirmation of the press contact terminal 8 of the connector 10, and the delivery of the connector 10 are smoothly and efficiently performed.

  The connector manufacturing apparatus 1 can also be applied when a crimp terminal or a welding terminal (not shown) is inserted into the connector housing 2 instead of the press contact terminal 8. In that case, instead of the press contact blade 16 of the terminal 8, a crimping piece or a welding piece (not shown) is provided, and the electric wire is connected in a separate process after the terminal is inserted into the connector housing 2.

1 is an overall front view showing an embodiment of a connector manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a principal part front view which shows a housing set part. It is a principal part side view which shows a housing set part. It is a principal part side view (longitudinal sectional view) showing a housing reversing mechanism. It is a top view which shows a 1st moving mechanism. It is a principal part side view (longitudinal sectional view) showing a terminal insertion mechanism. It is a front view which shows the cutting | disconnection mechanism before terminal insertion. It is a perspective view which shows an example of a press-contact terminal. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the state which inserts a terminal in a connector housing. It is a principal part top view which shows a 2nd moving mechanism and a terminal latching confirmation mechanism. It is a principal part side view which shows a 2nd moving mechanism and a terminal latching confirmation mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector manufacturing apparatus 2 Connector housing 3 Housing set part 4 Extrusion mechanism 5 Holder 6 Inversion mechanism 7 First moving mechanism 8 Pressure contact terminal (terminal)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Connector 11 Image processing mechanism 12 2nd moving mechanism 13 Guide holder 14 Terminal locking confirmation mechanism 49 Raising part 55 Through-hole 60 Hand 61 Arm 62 Dispensing holder 68 Fixing hand (fixing means)
70 push pin 72 cylinder (drive means)

Claims (12)

  A holder for holding the connector housing; a first moving mechanism for moving the holder to the terminal insertion process or the next process; a second moving mechanism for sliding the connector from the holder to the guide holder; A connector manufacturing apparatus comprising a terminal locking confirmation mechanism for a connector.   The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing set portion that sets the connector housing; and a push-out mechanism that slides the connector housing from the housing set portion to the holder.   A payout holder that is adjacent to the guide holder and slides the connector from the guide holder by the second moving mechanism, and driving means for moving the payout holder to the defective connector discharge side. Item 3. The connector manufacturing apparatus according to Item 1 or 2.   The second moving mechanism is integrally provided with a hand for moving a connector from the holder to the guide holder and an arm for moving the connector from the guide holder to the outside through the holder. The connector manufacturing apparatus of any one of 1-3.   The connector manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holder, the guide holder, the housing set portion, and the payout holder are formed in a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section.   The said terminal latching confirmation mechanism is provided with the means to fix the said connector to the said guide holder, and the push pin which presses the said terminal in the extraction direction with predetermined | prescribed force, The any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The connector manufacturing apparatus according to item.   The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the push pin presses a portion other than the electrical contact portion of the terminal through a through hole other than the terminal insertion hole of the connector housing.   The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holder is inverted upside down by an inversion mechanism.   The connector manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the next process is an image processing process of the terminal of the connector.   The connector housing is held by the holder, the holder is moved to the terminal insertion process or the next process by the first moving mechanism, the connector is slid from the holder to the guide holder by the second moving mechanism, and the terminal locking confirmation mechanism A connector manufacturing method comprising: confirming terminal locking of the connector in the guide holder.   11. The connector manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein the connector is slid from the guide holder to the payout holder by the second moving mechanism, and the payout holder is moved to select a defective connector.   The connector is moved from the holder to the guide holder by the hand of the second moving mechanism, and the connector is moved from the guide holder to the outside through the pay-out holder by the arm of the second moving mechanism. Item 12. The method for producing a connector according to Item 10 or 11.

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