JP2010195511A - Component sorting device and waterproof plug inserting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a miniaturizable component sorting device and a waterproof plug inserting device reducing manufacturing costs. <P>SOLUTION: The component sorting device 1 includes a conveying member 12 having a component storing portion 18, an extrusion member 13, and a slit 19 and a delivery portion 18a provided on the conveying member 12. In the part storing portion 18, a waterproof plug 2 is stored in the direction A where a small diameter portion is arranged in the upper side of a vertical direction and a large diameter portion is arranged in the lower side of the vertical direction or a second direction B opposed to the first direction A. The conveying member 12 is moved along a movement passage with the waterproof plug 2 stored in a part storing portion 18, to onvey the water proof plug 2. The extrusion member 13 is provided in a halfway of the movement passage, and is protruded into the part storing portion 18 through the slit 19, and comes into contact with the large diameter portion only when the waterproof plug 2 is in the second direction B, and the waterproof plug 2 is extruded from the inside of the part storing portion 18 to the outside of the part storing portion 18 through the delivery portion 18a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a component sorting device that sorts components arranged in one direction among components having directionality such as waterproof plugs attached to the end of an electric wire, and a waterproof plug insertion device equipped with the component sorting device.

  A waterproof plug may be attached to the end of the electric wire constituting the wire harness. The waterproof plug prevents liquid such as water from adhering to the terminal fitting attached to the end of the electric wire and accommodated in the connector housing of the connector.

  The waterproof plug is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer, and includes a small-diameter portion, a large-diameter portion coaxially and in series with the small-diameter portion, and an electric wire through hole. The small-diameter portion includes, for example, a cylindrical neck portion that is continuous with the large-diameter portion, and a flange-like flange portion that protrudes from the entire outer peripheral surface of the neck portion away from the large-diameter portion.

  The large diameter portion is formed in a cylindrical shape (cylindrical shape, rectangular tube shape, etc.), and has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameters of the neck portion and the flange portion. On the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion, a lip portion protruding from the outer peripheral surface is provided over the entire circumference of the large diameter portion. The electric wire through hole is a hole provided on the central axis of the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion. The inner diameter of the electric wire through hole is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire.

  The above-described waterproof plug is attached to the end of the electric wire by inserting the electric wire from the large diameter side into the electric wire through-hole, and attached to the terminal fitting by crimping a crimp piece of the terminal fitting on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion. . Thereafter, the waterproof plug is pushed into the connector housing, the lip portion is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the connector housing, and the space between the inner surface of the connector housing and the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire is kept watertight.

  As described above, since the electric wire is inserted from the large diameter side into the electric wire through hole of the waterproof plug, when inserting the electric wire, it is necessary to arrange the waterproof plugs having directivity in one direction. . In order to arrange the waterproof plugs in one direction in this way, various component sorting devices (component supply devices) have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In the parts sorting device described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a plurality of waterproof plugs accommodated in a parts feeder are passed through a cylindrical (tub-shaped) guide portion along the central axis direction of the waterproof plug, Waterproof plugs that pass through the department are supplied to the next process. Each waterproof plug in the guide portion includes a first direction in which the small diameter portion is disposed on the parts feeder side and the large diameter portion is disposed on the next process side, and a second direction opposite to the first direction. Arranged in either direction. For convenience, the first direction is a normal direction (the one direction), and the second direction is a non-normal direction.

  A photoelectric sensor that detects the direction of the waterproof plug in the guide portion based on a difference in light transmission amount is provided at an end portion on the next process side of the guide portion. If it is determined by the photoelectric sensor that the waterproof plug is in the proper orientation, the waterproof plug is supplied to the next process as it is. When the waterproof plug is determined to be in the non-regular direction by the photoelectric sensor, the waterproof plug is passed through the U-shaped inversion path and inverted in the normal direction and then supplied to the next process (patent) Document 1), or excluded without being supplied to the next process (Patent Document 2). Thus, only the regular waterproof plug is supplied to the next process.

  In addition, as another component selection device, a component selection device including a large bottomed cylindrical drum and a spiral guide portion arranged in the drum is also used. The drum is arranged so as to open upward, and a plurality of waterproof plugs are accommodated therein. The guide part is composed of a hard wire or the like, and is formed in a rail shape. The guide part has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the drum. The guide portion is disposed coaxially with the drum, and is provided so as to be capable of vibrating along the central axis direction and rotatable in the central axis direction.

  The waterproof plug has a first direction in which the small-diameter portion is disposed on the guide portion and the large-diameter portion is disposed on the guide portion, and a second direction opposite to the first direction. Arranged in the direction. As the above-described guide portion continuously vibrates and rotates, the waterproof plug in the drum sequentially moves upward on the guide portion. In addition, near the upper end of the guide portion, the waterproof plug is opposed to the first-direction waterproof plug with a gap, and comes into contact with the large-diameter portion of the second-direction waterproof plug and falls into the drum. An extrusion member is provided. Only the waterproof plug in the first direction (regular direction) is supplied to the next process by the pushing member.

JP 2000-142957 A JP 2006-1654 A

  In the parts sorting apparatus described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, the photoelectric sensor determines the direction of the waterproof plug, so that the parts sorting apparatus is expensive due to the photoelectric sensor, and the manufacturing cost of the parts sorting apparatus is low. There was a problem of soaring. In addition, in the other parts sorting apparatus described above, there is a problem that the parts sorting apparatus is large and requires a lot of installation space. Further, the vibration of the guide portion is transmitted to the periphery, which is not preferable, and noise is generated due to the vibration and rotation of the guide portion.

  The present invention aims to solve such problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a component selection device and a waterproof plug insertion device that can reduce the manufacturing cost and can be reduced in size.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 is directed to a component having a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion, wherein the small diameter portion is arranged on one side in a predetermined direction and The large-diameter portion is housed in the component housing portion in any one of a first direction arranged on the other side of the one direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and A conveying member configured to move along a moving path in a state where the component is accommodated in the component accommodating portion and convey the component, and to select the component in the first direction accommodated in the component accommodating portion. In the component sorting device, the component is provided in the middle of the movement path, and when the component in the component accommodating portion is in the first direction, the component is positioned in the component accommodating portion relative to the small diameter portion of the component. And the component in the component accommodating portion is the first And an extrusion member that contacts the large-diameter portion of the component and pushes the component out of the component accommodating portion toward the outside of the component accommodating portion, and the conveying member passes the extrusion member inwardly. A component sorting device comprising: a hole projecting into the component housing portion; and a discharge portion for ejecting the component pushed out by the pushing member out of the component housing portion from the component housing portion. is there.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the component sorting apparatus according to the first aspect, the hole is formed in a slit shape extending along the moving direction of the conveying member over the entire length of the conveying member. This is a parts selection device characterized by the above.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the component selection device according to the first or second aspect, the cross-sectional shape of the component housing portion is formed in a shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the component. This is a featured part sorting apparatus.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the component is a waterproof plug that is attached to the end of the electric wire, and a component supply unit that supplies the component to the conveying member, and the first to third aspects of the present invention. And a wire insertion portion for holding the component in the first direction sorted by the component sorting device in a state in which the end of the wire is inserted. Insertion device.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the extruding member provided in the middle of the movement path of the conveying member protrudes into the component accommodating portion through the hole, and is accommodated in the component accommodating portion. Only the large-diameter portion of the facing component comes into contact, and the component is discharged from the component housing portion to the outside of the component housing portion through the discharge portion. Therefore, since expensive electronic parts such as a photoelectric sensor are not used, the manufacturing cost of the parts sorting device can be reduced. Moreover, it is only necessary to provide the extrusion member at a position where it can contact the large-diameter portion in the second direction, and the component sorting device can be downsized.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, since the hole is formed in a slit shape extending along the moving direction of the conveying member over the entire length of the conveying member, it is fixed to the moving conveying member. It is only necessary to provide the extruded member, and the parts sorting apparatus can be simplified.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, since the cross-sectional shape of the component housing portion is formed in a shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the component, rattling of the component in the component housing portion can be prevented, and the extruded member Can be reliably arranged according to the desired position of the component, and only the component in the first direction can be more reliably selected.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof plug insertion device provided with the above-described component selection device, and the component selection device does not use expensive electronic components such as photoelectric sensors. The manufacturing cost of the insertion device can be reduced. Moreover, since it is only necessary to provide the pushing member, the component sorting device, that is, the waterproof plug insertion device can be reduced in size.

It is a side view (descriptive drawing) which shows the composition of the waterproofing stopper insertion device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the waterproofing stopper shown by FIG. It is a side view which expands and shows the components selection apparatus shown by FIG. It is a top view which shows operation | movement when the waterproof stopper of the components selection apparatus shown by FIG. 3 is a 1st direction. It is sectional drawing along the VV line in FIG.4 (c). It is a top view which shows operation | movement when the waterproof stopper of the components selection apparatus shown by FIG. 3 is a 2nd direction. It is sectional drawing along the VII-VII line in FIG.6 (c). It is a side view which expands and shows the electric wire insertion part shown by FIG. It is a top view which shows operation | movement of the electric wire insertion part shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the control apparatus which controls the waterproof plug insertion apparatus shown by FIG.

  Hereinafter, a component selection device 1 and a waterproof plug insertion device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. A waterproof plug insertion device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention selects a waterproof plug 2 arranged in one direction (first direction A to be described later) among a plurality of waterproof plugs 2 (corresponding to parts). These are the devices that hold the selected waterproof plugs 2 in a state where the terminals of the electric wires 24 are inserted in order.

  The waterproof plug 2 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. As shown in FIG. 2, the waterproof plug 2 includes a small-diameter portion 21, a large-diameter portion 22 that is coaxially connected in series with the small-diameter portion 21, and a wire passage hole 23. The small-diameter portion 21 includes a cylindrical neck portion 21a that is continuous with the large-diameter portion 22 and a flange-shaped flange portion 21b that protrudes from the entire outer peripheral surface away from the large-diameter portion 22 of the neck portion 21a. In addition, this flange part 21b does not necessarily need to be provided, and the small diameter part 21 may be comprised only from the neck part 21a.

  The large diameter portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the large diameter portion 22 is formed larger than the outer diameters of the neck portion 21a and the flange portion 21b. On the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 22, a lip portion 22 a protruding from the outer peripheral surface is provided over the entire periphery of the large diameter portion 22. A plurality of lip portions 22 a are provided at intervals along the central axis of the large diameter portion 22. In the following, the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 22 is referred to as the outer diameter of the waterproof plug 2.

  The wire passage hole 23 is a hole provided on the central axis of the small diameter portion 21 and the large diameter portion 22. The inner diameter of the wire passage hole 23 is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 24. The electric wire 24 is a so-called covered electric wire, and includes a conductive core wire and an insulating covering portion that covers the core wire.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the waterproof plug 2 described above is attached to the end of the electric wire 24 by inserting the electric wire 24 along the arrow W from the large diameter portion 22 side into the electric wire passage hole 23. Thereafter, the end of the electric wire 24 is peeled off to expose the core wire, and the electric wire 24 is attached to the terminal metal fitting 25 by the caulking piece 25a of the terminal metal fitting 25 being caulked. The waterproof plug 2 is attached to the terminal fitting 25 by crimping the neck portion 21 a with the crimping piece 25 b of the terminal fitting 25. Thereafter, the waterproof plug 2 is pushed into a connector housing of a connector (not shown), for example, and the lip portion 22a is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the connector housing, so that the space between the inner surface of the connector housing and the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 24 is watertight. keep. In the drawings other than FIG. 2, the waterproof plug 2 is simplified and drawn.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the waterproof plug insertion device 10 includes a frame 3, a component supply unit 4, a component sorting device 1, a wire insertion unit 5, and a control device 6 (FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 1, the frame 3 includes a frame main body 31, a movable portion 32, a standing tube support portion 33, and a sorting device support portion 34.

  The frame body 31 is installed on a floor of a factory or the like, and a base 31a whose upper surface is formed flat in a horizontal direction, and a pair of prismatic pillars (one in FIG. 1) erected vertically from the upper surface of the base 31a. 31b) and an upper wall 31c of a rectangular plane that is fixed to the upper ends of the pair of support columns 31b and is disposed flat along the horizontal direction. The electric wire insertion part 5 is being fixed to the upper surface of the base 31a. The upper wall 31c is formed with a round hole through which a telescopic rod 44b of a first air cylinder 44 (described later) of the component supply unit 4 passes, and a cylinder body 44a of the first air cylinder 44 is fixed to the upper surface.

  The movable part 32 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the frame body 31. The movable portion 32 is arranged along the vertical direction and is fixed to the lower end of the movable column 32a and is disposed flatly along the horizontal direction. The plurality of prismatic movable columns 32a position the upper wall 31c therebetween. And a planar rectangular movable wall 32b.

  The movable wall 32b is formed larger than the upper wall 31c. The tip of the telescopic rod 44b of the first air cylinder 44 is fixed to the upper surface of the portion facing the upper wall 31c of the movable wall 32b. In addition, a round hole through which an outer cylinder part 41 (to be described later) of the component supply unit 4 passes is formed in a part away from the upper wall 31c of the movable wall 32b, and the outer cylinder part 41 passed through the round hole is fixed. ing.

  The standing tube support portion 33 is fixed to the frame body 31. The standing tube support 33 is arranged along the vertical direction and is fixed to the column 31b of the frame main body 31, and is fixed to the column 31b and the flat wall in the horizontal direction. The support wall 33b is formed in an L shape. The support wall 33b is formed with a round hole through which a later-described standing cylinder part 43 of the component supply unit 4 passes, and the standing cylinder part 43 passed through the round hole is fixed. The standing tube portion 43 is fixed to the frame body 31 via the standing tube support portion 33.

  The sorting device support portion 34 is disposed between the pair of support columns 31b of the frame main body 31, and is fixed to the base portion 31a. The sorting device support portion 34 has a pair of flat rectangular walls 34a (only one shown in FIG. 1) standing upright from the upper surface of the base portion 31a and the upper ends of the standing walls 34a. And a mounting wall 34b that is connected and is disposed flat along the horizontal direction.

  The mounting wall 34b is provided in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the standing tube portion 43 supported by the standing tube support portion 33 in the vertical direction. The mounting wall 34b is formed with a round hole 34c that communicates with a component passage hole 17 of the base member 11 (to be described later) of the component sorting apparatus 1, and the upper part is separated so that the round hole 34c and the component passage hole 17 communicate with each other. The device 1 is fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the component supply unit 4 includes an outer cylinder part 41, an inner cylinder part 42, a standing cylinder part 43, and a first air cylinder 44. The outer cylinder portion 41 and the inner cylinder portion 42 are made of, for example, a hard synthetic resin or glass having transparency, and are formed in a cylindrical shape. The inner cylinder part 42 is formed so that the outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer cylinder part 41 and is substantially the same length as the outer cylinder part 41. Moreover, the longitudinal direction one end part arrange | positioned under the inner cylinder part 42 is formed in a mortar shape, and it is formed so that an inner-outer diameter may reduce gradually as it approaches the opening of the said one end part. The inner diameter of the opening at the one end is larger than the outer diameter of the waterproof plug 2 and larger than the outer diameter of the standing tube portion 43.

  The inner cylinder part 42 described above is fixed to the outer cylinder part 41 in a state where the entire inner cylinder part 42 is positioned in the outer cylinder part 41. The outer cylinder part 41 and the inner cylinder part 42 are arranged along the vertical direction so that the above-mentioned one end side of the inner cylinder part 42 is downward, and are movable while being passed through the round hole of the movable wall 32b. It is fixed to the part 32. Further, the waterproof plug 2 is supplied into the inner cylinder portion 42 from the opening at the other end portion in the longitudinal direction (that is, the opening arranged above), and the waterproof plug 2 is accommodated. The opening of the inner cylinder part 42 and the opening arranged above the outer cylinder part 41 are covered with a removable lid part 41a.

  The standing tube portion 43 is made of, for example, a hard synthetic resin or glass having transparency, and is formed in a long cylindrical shape. The inner diameter of the standing tube portion 43 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the waterproof plug 2 and smaller than the length of the waterproof plug 2 in the central axis direction. The standing tube portion 43 is arranged along the vertical direction and is passed through the round hole of the support wall 33 b, the center in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the standing tube support portion 33, and the standing tube support portion 33 is Via the frame body 31. As for the standing cylinder part 43, an upper end part is located in the one end part of the inner cylinder part 42, and a lower end part is located above the components selection apparatus 1. FIG.

  The first air cylinder 44 includes a cylinder main body 44a and an expansion / contraction rod 44b that can extend and contract from the cylinder main body 44a. The cylinder body 44 a is disposed along the vertical direction, is fixed to the upper wall 31 c of the frame body 31, and is disposed above the movable wall 32 b of the movable portion 32. The telescopic rod 44b extends downward from the cylinder body 44a through a round hole in the upper wall 31c. The tip of the telescopic rod 44b is fixed to the upper surface of the movable wall 32b. The telescopic rod 44b extends downward from the cylinder body 44a.

  The first air cylinder 44 described above moves the movable portion 32 along the vertical direction (arrow M1) with respect to the frame body 31 as the telescopic rod 44b expands and contracts. A standing tube portion 43 is fixed to the frame body 31 via a standing tube support portion 33, and an outer tube portion 41 and an inner tube portion 42 are fixed to the movable portion 32. For this reason, the first air cylinder 44 moves the outer cylinder part 41 and the inner cylinder part 42 along the vertical direction (arrow M1) with respect to the standing cylinder part 43. The first air cylinder 44 has the movable part 32, the outer cylinder part 41, and the inner cylinder part 42 at an initial position where the upper end part of the standing cylinder part 43 is positioned in the inner cylinder part 42 (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1). And a moving position (indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 1) in which the standing cylinder 43 having a length shorter than the initial position and shorter than the initial position is positioned in the inner cylinder 42. Move.

  In the component supply unit 4 configured as described above, the expansion rod 44b of the first air cylinder 44 repeatedly expands and contracts, so that the outer tube portion 41 and the inner tube portion 42 extend between the initial position and the movement position with respect to the standing tube portion 43. By reciprocating, the upper end portion of the standing tube portion 43 positioned in the inner tube portion 42 reciprocates in the vertical direction within the inner tube portion 42. And by this reciprocating motion, the upper part of the standing cylinder part 43 agitates the waterproof plug 2 in the inner cylinder part 42, and the component supply part 4 moves the waterproof stopper 2 from the opening at the upper end part of the standing cylinder part 43. It is made to enter into the standing tube portion 43. In this way, the component supply unit 4 supplies the waterproof plug 2 to the component sorting device 1 disposed below the standing tube portion 43 through the standing tube portion 43.

  At this time, the waterproof plug 2 enters the upright tube portion 43 along the direction of the central axis of the waterproof plug 2 and, as shown in FIG. 1, of the first direction A and the second direction B It is supplied to the component sorting apparatus 1 in either direction. The first direction A is an orientation in which the small diameter portion 21 is disposed on the upper side (one side) in the vertical direction (predetermined one direction) and the large diameter portion 22 is disposed on the lower side (the other side) in the vertical direction. It is. The second direction B is a direction opposite to the first direction A, and is a direction in which the small diameter portion 21 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction and the large diameter portion 22 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction.

  In addition, in order to make the waterproof plug 2 in the inner cylinder part 42 of the component supply part 4 described above more agitated and easily enter the standing cylinder part 43, it is added to the inner cylinder part 42 using a tube or the like. A pressurized gas may be ejected. In this case, the outer cylinder part 41 and the inner cylinder part 42 may be provided with escape holes for allowing the pressurized gas to escape.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the component sorting apparatus 1 includes a base member 11, a conveying member 12, an extrusion member 13 (FIG. 4 and the like), a second air cylinder 14, and a pressurized gas supply unit 55. I have. The base member 11 is formed in a thick rectangular plate shape. As shown in FIG. 4, which is a top view of FIG. 3, the base member 11 includes a slide groove 15, a discharge hole 16, and a component through hole 17.

  The slide groove 15 is provided over the entire length of the base member 11 so as to be recessed from the upper surface 11a of the base member 11 and open to a pair of end surfaces orthogonal to the upper surface 11a and parallel to each other. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the slide groove 15 is formed substantially equal to the cross-sectional shape of the conveying member 12. The slide groove 15 accommodates the conveying member 12 inside, and accommodates the conveying member 12 slidably along the longitudinal direction thereof. The base member 11 is fixed to the sorting device support portion 34 so that the slide groove 15 is arranged on a straight line connecting the portion of the mounting wall 34b facing the standing tube portion 43 and the round hole 34c of the mounting wall 34b. ing.

  The discharge hole 16 is formed by cutting out the base member 11 from the side surface 11 b orthogonal to the pair of end surfaces where the slide groove 15 opens to the center in the width direction of the slide groove 15. The discharge hole 16 communicates the center in the longitudinal direction of the slide groove 15 with the outside. The component through hole 17 is provided on the bottom surface of the slide groove 15 on the one end side in the longitudinal direction away from the second air cylinder 14, and penetrates the base member 11. The component through-hole 17 is formed in a round hole shape whose outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the waterproof plug 2.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the base member 11 described above has one end 11d (left side in FIG. 5) provided with a discharge hole 16 formed thicker than the other end 11e (right side in FIG. 5). Has been. The thickness of the one end portion 11d is equal to the length of the waterproof plug 2 in the central axis direction, and the thickness of the other end portion 11e is the length from the end on the large diameter portion 22 side of the waterproof plug 2 to the approximate center of the neck portion 21a. Are equally formed. For this reason, the upper surface 11a of the other end portion 11e of the base member 11 is disposed below the upper surface 11a of the one end portion 11d.

  The conveying member 12 is formed in a bar shape having a rectangular cross section. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the conveying member 12 includes a component accommodating portion 18 and a slit 19 as a hole portion. The component accommodating portion 18 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction away from the second air cylinder 14 of the conveying member 12, and cuts the conveying member 12 from a side surface 12 b disposed on the one end 11 d side of the base member 11 of the conveying member 12. It is lacking. The component housing portion 18 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape in a direction parallel to the upper surface 12a of the conveying member 12, that is, a planar shape in FIG.

  The component housing portion 18 described above is open in three directions: the side surface 12b of the conveying member 12 and the upper surface 12a and the bottom surface 12c of the conveying member 12 orthogonal to the side surface 12b. The opening on the side surface 12b is a discharge portion 18a. The discharge part 18a discharges the waterproof plug 2 accommodated in the component accommodating part 18 from the component accommodating part 18 to the outside. That is, the transport member 12 includes a discharge unit 18a.

  In addition, the waterproof plug 2 of the first direction A or the second direction B that has passed through the inside of the standing tube portion 43 of the component supply unit 4 is inserted into the component housing unit 18 from the opening on the upper surface 12a side. The component accommodating portion 18 accommodates the waterproof plug 2 in any one of the first direction A and the second direction B. In order to more smoothly insert the waterproof plug 2 from the opening on the upper surface 12a side of the component accommodating portion 18, the component accommodating portion is gradually formed on the inner edge of the component accommodating portion 18 toward the center of the opening. You may provide the taper surface which inclined in the direction approaching the back | inner side of 18. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the slit 19 is formed in a slit shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the conveying member 12 (the moving direction of the conveying member 12), and is formed over the entire length of the conveying member 12. 12 are opened at both longitudinal ends. The slit 19 is formed to have an equal depth over the entire length, and is formed to have a depth communicating with the component housing portion 18.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the slit 19 is provided in a concave shape from the side surface opposite to the opened side surface 12 b of the discharge portion 18 a of the transport member 12. The slit 19 is formed parallel to the bottom surface 12c of the conveying member 12, and is formed at a position above the bottom surface 12c from the end on the large diameter portion 22 side of the waterproof plug 2 to the approximate center of the neck portion 21a. Has been. The slit 19 is formed slightly wider than the extrusion member 13. The slit 19 allows the pusher member 13 to pass inside to project into the component housing portion 18.

  The pushing member 13 is made of a material harder than the material constituting the waterproof plug 2 (for example, an iron plate) and is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the pushing member 13 is provided in the middle of the movement path of the conveying member 12, and is provided near the center in the longitudinal direction of the slide groove 15. The pushing member 13 is provided at a position facing the discharge hole 16 with the slide groove 15 interposed therebetween. The pushing member 13 is arranged so that one end thereof is overlapped and fixed on the upper surface 11 a of the other end 11 e of the base member 11, and the other end protrudes from the upper surface 11 a and partially covers the slide groove 15. .

  Further, the other end portion of the pushing member 13 can project into the component accommodating portion 18 through the slit 19 of the conveying member 12 accommodated in the slide groove 15. As shown in FIG. 5, when the waterproof plug 2 in the component housing portion 18 is in the first direction A, the push-out member 13 has a small diameter portion 21 to the extent that the waterproof plug 2 remains positioned in the component housing portion 18. When the waterproof plug 2 in the component housing portion 18 is in the second direction B as shown in FIG. 7, the waterproof plug 2 is pushed out of the component housing portion 18 as shown in FIG. The length is formed so as to make strong contact with the diameter portion 22.

  The 2nd air cylinder 14 is provided with the cylinder main body 14a and the expansion-contraction rod 14b which can be expanded-contracted from the cylinder main body 14a. The cylinder body 14 a is arranged along the horizontal direction, and is arranged on an extension line of the slide groove 15 of the base member 11 fixed to the sorting device support portion 34, and is fixed to the sorting device support portion 34. The telescopic rod 14b extends from the cylinder body 14a in a direction approaching the round hole 34c of the mounting wall 34b. The distal end of the telescopic rod 14 b is fixed to the other end of the transport member 12.

  In the second air cylinder 14 described above, the telescopic rod 14b expands and contracts, so that the conveying member 12 in the slide groove 15 is positioned at an initial position where the component housing portion 18 faces the lower end portion of the standing tube portion 43 (FIG. 1, FIG. 3 (a), FIG. 4 (a), and FIG. 6 (a)), the component housing portion 18 is further away from the cylinder body 14a than the initial position, and the component accommodating portion 18 is located in the component through hole 17 and the mounting wall 34b. Is moved along the arrow M2 along the movement path extending to the movement position (shown in FIGS. 3B, 4E, and 6E) communicating with the round hole 34c.

  In the component sorting apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, when the telescopic rod 14b of the second air cylinder 14 is contracted and the conveying member 12 is positioned at the initial position, as shown in FIG. The waterproof plug 2 in the first direction A or the second direction B enters from the standing tube part 43 in communication with the inside of the standing tube part 43 of the supply unit 4.

  Thereafter, the telescopic rod 14b of the second air cylinder 14 is extended, and the conveying member 12 accommodates the waterproof plug 2 in the component accommodating portion 18, and FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (e) and FIG. (A) thru | or FIG.6 (e) sequentially, it moves along a movement path | route from an initial position toward a movement position, and conveys the waterproof plug 2. FIG. When the conveying member 12 moves, the pushing member 13 enters the component accommodating portion 18 that communicates with the slit 19 after entering the slit 19.

  When the waterproof plug 2 to be conveyed is in the first direction A, the pushing member 13 that has entered the component housing portion 18 is weak with the neck portion 21a of the small-diameter portion 21 as shown in FIGS. Contact is made to prevent vibration (rattle) in the component housing portion 18 of the waterproof plug 2. Thereafter, when the conveying member 12 moves to the movement position, the waterproof plug 2 accommodated in the component accommodating portion 18 passes through the component through hole 17 of the base member 11 and the round hole 34c of the mounting wall 34b to the electric wire insertion portion 5. Supplied.

  In addition, when the component to be conveyed is in the second direction B, the extrusion member 13 that has entered the component accommodating portion 18 has the large-diameter portion 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 6C and 7. The waterproof plug 2 is pushed out of the component housing portion 18 toward the outside of the component housing portion 18. The waterproof plug 2 is discharged to the outside of the component housing portion 18 through the discharge portion 18a, and is discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 16 of the base member 11 communicating with the discharge portion 18a. A tray (not shown) on which the waterproof plug 2 in the second direction B falls is provided below the discharge hole 16. In this way, the component sorting device 1 sorts the waterproof plug 2 in the first direction A housed in the component housing portion 18 and sends it to the wire insertion portion 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the electric wire insertion portion 5 includes a second base member 51, a second transport member 52, a connection tube 53, a third air cylinder 54, and a pressurized gas supply portion 55 (see FIG. 8). 1). As shown in FIG. 9, which is a top view of FIG. 8, the second base member 51 includes a strip-like bottom wall portion 51a, and a pair of side wall portions 51b that are erected from both ends in the width direction and are parallel to each other. And has a bowl shape. The second base member 51 includes a second slide groove 56, a tube attachment hole 57, and a wire passage hole 58.

  The second slide groove 56 is a space surrounded by the bottom wall portion 51a and the pair of side wall portions 51b. The second slide groove 56 is formed over the entire length of the second base member 51 so as to open at both longitudinal ends of the second base member 51. The cross-sectional shape of the second slide groove 56 is substantially equal to the cross-sectional shape of the second transport member 52. The second slide groove 56 accommodates the second conveyance member 52 inside, and slidably accommodates the second conveyance member 52 along the longitudinal direction thereof.

  The tube mounting hole 57 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the second base member 51 near the third air cylinder 54, and penetrates one side wall 51b. The tube mounting hole 57 is formed in a round hole shape whose outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the connecting tube 53.

  The electric wire passing hole 58 is provided at the other longitudinal end portion of the second base member 51 and penetrates the other side wall portion 51b. The electric wire through hole 58 includes a round hole and a notch. The round hole penetrates the other side wall 51 b along the width direction of the second slide groove 56. The inner diameter of the round hole is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the electric wire 24 on the second slide groove 56 side, and is formed so as to gradually increase as the distance from the second slide groove 56 increases. The notch is formed by notching the side wall 51b from the upper end surface of the other side wall 51b toward the round hole, and communicates with the round hole.

  The second transport member 52 is formed in a bar shape having a rectangular cross section. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second transport member 52 includes a second component housing portion 59. The second component housing portion 59 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction away from the third air cylinder 54 of the second transport member 52, and is formed by cutting out the second transport member 52 from the upper surface 52 a of the second transport member 52. ing. The second component housing portion 59 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape in a direction parallel to the upper surface 52a of the second conveying member 52, that is, a planar shape in FIG.

  The second component housing portion 59 described above opens in three directions: an upper surface 52 a of the second transport member 52 and a pair of side surfaces 52 b that overlap the second slide groove 56 of the second transport member 52. Through the opening on the upper surface 52b side, the waterproof plug 2 into which the end of the electric wire 24 is inserted is taken out of the second component housing part 59.

  In addition, the waterproof plug 2 that passes through the inside of the connecting tube 53 is inserted into the second component housing portion 59 from the opening of one side surface 52b that overlaps the side wall portion 51b in which the tube mounting hole 57 is formed in the side surface 52b. . The waterproof plug 2 is accommodated in the second component accommodating portion 59 in a state where the small diameter portion 21 is disposed on one side surface 52b side and the large diameter portion 22 is disposed on the other side surface 52b side. Further, the second component housing portion 59 is inserted with the electric wire 24 that has passed through the electric wire through hole 58 from the opening of the other side surface 52b.

  The connection tube 53 is made of a transparent and flexible synthetic resin or the like, and is formed in a long cylindrical shape. The inner diameter of the connecting tube 53 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the waterproof plug 2. One end of the connecting tube 53 in the longitudinal direction is attached to the attachment wall 34b of the sorting device support 34, and the inside communicates with the round hole 34c of the attachment wall 34b. The other end in the longitudinal direction of the connection tube 53 is attached in the tube attachment hole 57 of the second base member 51. The connection tube 53 connects the component sorting device 1 and the wire insertion portion 5.

  The third air cylinder 54 includes a cylinder body 54a and a telescopic rod 54b that can be stretched and contracted from the cylinder body 54a. The cylinder main body 54a is arranged along the horizontal direction, and is arranged on an extension line of the second slide groove 56 of the second base member 51 fixed on the base 31a of the frame main body 31, and is fixed to the base 31a. The telescopic rod 54b extends in a direction approaching the other end portion of the connecting tube 53 from the cylinder body 54a. The distal end of the telescopic rod 54 b is fixed to the other end portion of the second transport member 52.

  In the third air cylinder 54 described above, the expansion rod 54b expands and contracts, so that the second transport member 52 in the second slide groove 56 of the second base member 51 is waterproofed in the second component storage portion 59 (. An initial position (shown in FIGS. 8 (a), 9 (a), and 9 (d)) where the wire passage hole 23) of the plug 2 communicates with the wire passage hole 58 of the second base member 51, and the initial position. The position where the second component housing portion 59 communicates with the tube mounting hole 57 of the second base member 51 closer to the cylinder body 54a (shown in FIGS. 8B, 9B, and 9C). ), And along the movement path extending along the arrow M3.

  The operation of the third air cylinder 54 described above is controlled by a foot switch (not shown) provided on the floor. When the operator turns on the foot switch, the third air cylinder 54 is driven to reciprocate once. That is, the foot switch retracts the telescopic rod 54b of the third air cylinder 54 and moves the second transport member 52 from the initial position to the moving position, and then extends the telescopic rod 54b to move the second transport member 52 again. Move from position to initial position.

  The pressurized gas supply unit 55 includes a cylindrical part 55a and a pressurized gas supply source (not shown). The cylindrical portion 55a is formed in a cylindrical shape and is disposed along the vertical direction. The cylindrical portion 55 a has an upper end connected to a pressurized gas supply source and a lower end fixed above the component through-hole 17 of the base member 11 of the component sorting device 1.

  The pressurized gas supply unit 55 described above jets pressurized gas from a pressurized gas supply source through the cylindrical portion 55 a along the arrow G into the component through hole 17 and the connection tube 53, and waterproofs the connection tube 53. The stopper 2 is smoothly moved to the other end side of the connection tube 53. A portion of the other side wall 51 b of the second base member 51 facing the tube mounting hole 57 is provided with an escape hole for allowing the pressurized gas that has passed through the connecting tube 53 to escape.

  As shown in FIG. 9 (d), the electric wire insertion portion 5 having the above-described configuration receives the second component housing when the telescopic rod 54b of the third air cylinder 54 extends and the second transport member 52 is positioned at the initial position. The wire passage hole 23 of the waterproof plug 2 in the portion 59 communicates with the wire passage hole 58 of the second base member 51 to hold the waterproof plug 2 in a state where the end of the electric wire 24 is inserted.

  9A to 9C, when the telescopic rod 54b of the third air cylinder 54 is contracted and the second transport member 52 is positioned at the moving position, the second component housing portion 59 is obtained. Communicates with the inside of the connection tube 53 attached to the tube attachment hole 57 of the second base member 51, and the waterproof plug 2 is supplied from the connection tube 53 into the second component housing portion 59.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 6 includes a photoelectric sensor 61 and a control unit 62. As shown in FIG. 1, the photoelectric sensor 61 is attached to one end portion of the connection tube 53, detects information on whether or not the waterproof plug 2 is present at the one end portion, and uses the information as an electrical signal to control the control portion 62. Send to.

  The control unit 62 is connected to the photoelectric sensor 61, the first air cylinder 44, and the second air cylinder 14, respectively. The control unit 62 controls the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 based on information from the photoelectric sensor 61. When the control unit 62 receives an electrical signal from the photoelectric sensor 61 that there is a waterproof plug 2 at one end of the connection tube 53, the control unit 62 determines that a sufficient number of waterproof plugs 2 are supplied to the wire insertion unit 5. Then, an electric signal is transmitted to the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 to stop the operation of the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14. Further, when the control unit 62 receives an electrical signal indicating that the waterproof plug 2 is not provided at one end of the connection tube 53 from the photoelectric sensor 61, the control unit 62 determines that a sufficient number of the waterproof plugs 2 are not supplied to the wire insertion unit 5. Then, an electrical signal is transmitted to the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 to operate the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14.

  The control unit 62 described above operates the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 intermittently at predetermined intervals. When the control unit 62 operates the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14, the second air cylinder 14 is operated after the first air cylinder 44 is operated a predetermined number of times.

  When the waterproof plug 2 is attached to the end of the electric wire 24 using the waterproof plug insertion device 10 described above, first, the lid portion 41 a is removed and the waterproof plug 2 is supplied into the inner cylinder portion 42. Further, the telescopic rods 44b, 14b of the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 are contracted, and the telescopic rod 44b of the third air cylinder 54 is expanded, so that the outer cylinder part 41, the inner cylinder part 42, the conveying member 12, And the 2nd conveyance member 52 is positioned in the initial position mentioned above, respectively.

  Thereafter, when the power supply of the waterproof plug insertion device 10 is turned on, the control device 6 transmits an electric signal indicating that the photoelectric sensor 61 does not have the waterproof plug 2 at one end of the connection tube 53 to the control unit 62. The control unit 62 that has received the signal operates the first air cylinder 44 of the component supply unit 4.

  When the first air cylinder 44 is operated, the telescopic rod 44b repeatedly expands and contracts at a predetermined interval as described above, and the outer tube portion 41 and the inner tube portion 42 reciprocate with respect to the standing tube portion 43, and the inner tube portion 42 is moved. After the waterproof plug 2 inside enters the standing tube portion 43, the waterproof plug 2 passes through the standing tube portion 43 and is supplied to the component sorting device 1. At this time, the waterproof plug 2 is arranged in one of the first direction A and the second direction B and is supplied to the component sorting device 1.

  In the waterproof plug 2 supplied to the component sorting device 1, since the conveying member 12 is positioned at the initial position, the component accommodating portion 18 of the conveying member 12 communicates with the inside of the standing tube portion 43, and the component accommodating portion The waterproof plug 2 in the first direction A or the second direction B is accommodated in 18. The control unit 62 operates the second air cylinder 14 after operating the first air cylinder 44 a predetermined number of times.

  When the second air cylinder 14 is operated, the telescopic rod 14b is extended as described above, and the conveying member 12 is moved from the initial position to the moving position to convey the waterproof plug 2 to the component through hole 17 of the base member 11. . At this time, when the waterproof plug 2 transported by the transport member 12 is in the first direction A, the push-out member 13 only weakly contacts the waterproof plug 2 as shown in FIGS. It is conveyed to the through hole 17. On the other hand, when the waterproof plug 2 transported by the transport member 12 is in the second direction B, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the pushing member 13 is in strong contact with the waterproof plug 2, and the waterproof plug 2 is connected to the discharge portion 18a and The component is discharged outside the component accommodating portion 18 through the discharge hole 16, and is not conveyed to the component through hole 17.

  Thereafter, the telescopic rod 14b is contracted, the conveying member 12 is again moved to the initial position, the component accommodating portion 18 of the conveying member 12 is communicated with the inside of the standing tube portion 43, and the next first in the component accommodating portion 18 is reached. The waterproof plug 2 of the direction A or the second direction B is accommodated. As the second air cylinder 14 repeats the above operation, only the waterproof plug 2 in the first direction A is sequentially supplied to the electric wire insertion portion 5 through the component through hole 17.

  The waterproof plug 2 supplied to the electric wire insertion part 5 moves in the connecting tube 53 from one end side toward the other end side. Pressurized gas is ejected from the one end side into the connecting tube 53 by the pressurized gas supply unit 55, and the waterproof plug 2 moves smoothly in the connecting tube 53. The waterproof plug 2 that has reached the other end of the connection tube 53 stops by striking against the side surface 52b of the second transport member 52 because the second transport member 52 is positioned at the initial position.

  Then, the operator turns on the foot switch of the control device 6 when attaching the waterproof plug 2 to the electric wire 24. Then, the third air cylinder 54 is operated, the telescopic rod 54b is contracted as described above, and the second conveying member 52 is moved from the initial position to the moving position, and the second component housing portion 59 of the second conveying member 52 is moved. Communicates with the inside of the connecting tube 53 and accommodates the waterproof plug 2 therein. In the waterproof plug 2, the small diameter portion 21 is disposed on one side surface 52b side (that is, the tube attachment hole 57 side) of the second transport member 52, and the large diameter portion 22 is disposed on the other side surface 52b (that is, the wire passage hole 58 side). Housed in a distributed state.

  Subsequently, the telescopic rod 54 b is extended, the second transport member 52 is moved from the moving position to the initial position, and the wire passage hole 23 of the waterproof plug 2 in the second component housing portion 59 is formed on the second base member 51. The waterproof plug 2 is held in a state where the end of the electric wire 24 is inserted, communicating with the electric wire through hole 58. The operator inserts the end of the electric wire 24 into the electric wire through holes 23 and 58 communicated from the side wall 51b side of the second base member 51, and then pulls the electric wire 24 inserted into the waterproof plug 2 upward. Thus, the waterproof plug 2 is attached to the end of the electric wire 24. When attaching the waterproof plug 2 to the next electric wire 24, the operator turns on the foot switch again, positions the waterproof plug 2 at a position where the electric wire through holes 23 and 58 communicate, and then inserts the end of the electric wire 24. To do.

  If the worker does not turn on the foot switch for a long time, the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 are in operation, so that the waterproof plug 2 accumulates in the wire insertion portion 5. Then, when the waterproof plug 2 accumulates to one end of the connection tube 53, the control device 6 transmits an electrical signal to the control unit 62 that the photoelectric sensor 61 has the waterproof plug 2 at one end of the connection tube 53, The control unit 62 that has received the electrical signal stops the operation of the first air cylinder 44 and the second air cylinder 14 of the component supply unit 4.

  According to this embodiment, the extrusion member 13 provided in the middle of the movement path of the conveying member 12 protrudes into the component accommodating portion 18 through the slit 19 and is accommodated in the component accommodating portion 18. Only the large-diameter portion 22 of the waterproof plug 2 in the direction B is contacted, and the waterproof plug 2 is discharged out of the component housing portion 18 from the component housing portion 18 through the discharge portion 18a. Therefore, since expensive electronic parts such as a photoelectric sensor are not used, the manufacturing cost of the parts sorting apparatus 1 can be reduced. Moreover, it is only necessary to provide the extrusion member 13 at a position where it can come into contact with the large-diameter portion 22 in the second direction B, and the component sorting apparatus 1 can be downsized.

  Further, since the slit 19 is formed in the shape of the slit 19 extending along the moving direction of the conveying member 12 over the entire length of the conveying member 12, the pushing member 13 fixed to the moving conveying member 12 is provided. It is only necessary to provide it, and the component sorting apparatus 1 can be simplified.

  Further, the waterproof plug insertion device 10 having the component sorting device 1 does not use expensive electronic parts such as a photoelectric sensor, so the manufacturing cost of the component sorting device 1, that is, the waterproof plug insertion device 10 is reduced. Can be reduced. Moreover, since only the extrusion member 13 needs to be provided, the component sorting device 1, that is, the waterproof plug insertion device 10 can be reduced in size.

  In the above-described embodiment, the component accommodating portion 18 of the conveying member 12 is formed in a rectangular shape with a cross-sectional shape in a direction parallel to the upper surface 12a of the conveying member 12, that is, a planar shape when viewed from above in FIG. It had been. However, in the present invention, the cross-sectional shape (planar shape) of the component housing portion 18 may be circular and may have a shape similar to the cross-sectional shape of the waterproof plug 2. By doing so, it is possible to prevent rattling of the waterproof plug 2 in the component housing portion 18, and the push-out member 13 is securely arranged at a desired position of the waterproof plug 2, and only the waterproof plug 2 in the first direction A is provided. Can be selected reliably.

  In the above-described embodiment, the position in which the small diameter portion 21 of the waterproof plug 2 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction and the large diameter portion 22 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction is defined as the first direction A. The sorting device 1 sorts the waterproof plug 2 in the first direction A. However, in the present invention, the position (height) at which the extrusion member 13 is fixed is lowered, and the position of the slit 19 is formed at a position corresponding to the extrusion member 13, so that the component sorting device 1 is in the second direction B. The waterproof plug 2 can be changed to be selected.

  Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, although the components were the waterproof plugs 2, if it is components in which a small diameter part and a large diameter part are coaxial and connected in series, it is components other than the waterproof plug 2. Also good. In the above-described embodiment, the extrusion member 13 is provided so as to be weakly in contact with the neck portion 21a of the small diameter portion 21 when the waterproof plug 2 in the component housing portion 18 is in the first direction A. You may make it oppose with a space | interval between neck parts 21a (namely, it does not contact).

  The above-described embodiments are merely representative examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 Parts sorter 2 Waterproof stopper (parts)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 4 Component supply part 5 Electric wire insertion part 10 Waterproof plug insertion apparatus 13 Extrusion member 18 Component accommodating part 18a Ejection part 19 Slit (hole)
21 Small diameter part 22 Large diameter part 24 Electric wire

Claims (4)

A component having a small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion has a first orientation in which the small-diameter portion is disposed on one side in a predetermined direction and the large-diameter portion is disposed on the other side in the one direction; The second direction opposite to the first direction is accommodated in the component accommodating portion in any one direction, and the component is moved along the movement path in a state where the component is accommodated in the component accommodating portion. In a component sorting apparatus that includes a conveying member that conveys a component, and that sorts the component in the first direction accommodated in the component accommodating portion,
Provided in the middle of the movement path, and when the component in the component accommodating portion is in the first orientation, the component is left positioned in the component accommodating portion relative to the small diameter portion of the component; and When the component in the component accommodating portion is in the second orientation, the component includes an extrusion member that contacts the large diameter portion of the component and pushes the component out of the component accommodating portion toward the outside of the component accommodating portion.
A hole for allowing the conveying member to pass through the extrusion member and projecting into the component housing portion; a discharge portion for discharging the component pushed out by the extrusion member from the component housing portion to the outside of the component housing portion; A part selection device characterized by comprising:   2. The component sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hole portion is formed in a slit shape extending along a moving direction of the transport member over the entire length of the transport member.   The component sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the component housing portion is formed in a shape similar to a cross-sectional shape of the component. The component is a waterproof plug that is attached to the end of the electric wire,
The component supply part which supplies the said component to the said conveyance member, The component selection apparatus described in Claim 1 thru | or 3, The said component of the said 1st direction which the said component selection device selected is the terminal of the said electric wire A waterproof plug insertion device comprising: an electric wire insertion portion that holds the wire in a state in which is inserted.

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