JP2014083490A - Coloring unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coloring unit which evenly and clearly colors an object to be colored, such as an electric wire covering material, while at the same time increasing productivity.SOLUTION: A coloring unit 1 includes: an ink reservoir member 10 having an ink cylinder 11 in which ink is stored, and a piston 12; a unit base 100 which detachably holds the ink reservoir member 10; an ink feeding mechanism 20 which slides the piston 12 of the ink reservoir member 10 held by the unit base 100; and a coloring device 30 provided with a coloring mechanism 40 which accommodates the ink extracted from the ink reservoir member 10, and a coloring and moving mechanism 50 which moves the coloring mechanism 40 between a coloring position at which the coloring mechanism 40 abuts on and colors an electric wire and a retreat position separated from the electric wire.

Description

  The present invention relates to a coloring unit, and more particularly, to a coloring unit that forms a colored portion by attaching ink to a coloring object such as a coating material for an electric wire.

  Many electric wires are used for electrical products. These electric wires are composed of a core wire formed of copper or the like and a covering material formed of a resin such as vinyl chloride. In addition, wire harnesses in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled are used for electrical products and automobiles. In the wire harness, terminals are crimped to the ends of each electric wire, and these terminals are connected together by one or more connectors, and are connected to a substrate of an electrical component through the connectors. Yes.

  By the way, in order to manufacture a wire harness, it is necessary to connect each electric wire without making a mistake in the corresponding position of a connector. Therefore, it is a common practice to visually recognize and identify the corresponding position of a connector or the like by using an electric wire having a different coating material color depending on the type of connector and the pin number.

  However, when using wires with different colors of the covering material, it is necessary to prepare a number of wires with different colors in advance, and there is a problem that it takes time to manage the ordering and storage of the wires. In addition, when manufacturing a wire harness, when cutting an electric wire with an electric wire processing machine or removing a covering material at the tip of the electric wire, the electric wire supplied to the electric wire processing machine is different for each color of the covering material. There is a problem in that productivity needs to be changed frequently, which is troublesome and results in poor productivity.

  On the other hand, a marking device (coloring device) that injects a coloring material from a nozzle to color a part of an electric wire has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). Thereby, since the electric wire prepared beforehand can be made into a single color (for example, white), the kind of electric wire can be decreased and the effort concerning management can be reduced. In addition, by arranging the electric wire processing machine on the downstream side of the marking device, it is possible to eliminate the exchange of electric wires due to different colors, and it is possible to increase productivity.

  However, in the thing of patent document 1, since the coloring material (ink) is ejected from a nozzle and the electric wire is colored, since the adhesion amount of the coloring material differs depending on the distance from the nozzle, there is a problem that uneven color is likely to occur. At the same time, there is a problem that the boundary of the coloring position tends to be unclear. Further, when coloring is performed by spraying a coloring material, the mist-like coloring material is likely to be scattered, and thus there is a problem that the electric wire and the marking device are contaminated by the scattered coloring material. Furthermore, if the marking device is contaminated by the scattered coloring material, the marking device may become dirty due to the contamination of the marking device. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently maintain the marking device such as cleaning, and it is difficult to increase productivity. Met.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a coloring unit capable of clearly coloring an object to be colored such as a wire covering material without color unevenness and at the same time improving productivity. It is to be an issue.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the coloring unit according to the present invention includes: a cylindrical ink cylinder in which a small-diameter spout is formed at one end, and a piston that is inserted in the ink cylinder so as to be watertight and slidable. And an ink storage member in which ink is stored between the spout and the piston in the ink cylinder, and the ink storage member is attached and detached with the piston positioned below the spout A unit base that can be held; an ink feeding mechanism that is attached to the unit base and that slides the piston of the ink storage member held by the unit base; and the piston by the ink feeding mechanism. An ink storage recess that has an opening communicating with the outside and containing the ink that has been discharged from the spout by sliding upward, and in the ink storage recess A coloring movable member that is supported so as to be movable and has a tip protruding from the opening in a state where a gap is formed between the opening and a coloring position at which the tip of the coloring movable member abuts a coloring object. A coloring movement mechanism that moves the ink containing recess between the tip of the coloring movable member and a retracted position away from the coloring object, and a coloring device supported by the unit base. '' And

  Here, “ink” includes “cured by ultraviolet rays (ultraviolet curable paint)”, “cured by evaporation and drying of water and organic solvents (organic paint, water-based paint, etc.)”, “chemical reaction” And the like (two-component curable paint, hygroscopic curable paint, etc.) "and the like.

  Examples of the “ink cylinder” include “columnar shape”, “polygonal column shape such as quadrangle and hexagon”, and the like. Examples of the “piston” include “a rod having a rod-like rod portion extending downward from the lower end of the ink cylinder”, “a columnar one that does not protrude from the ink cylinder”, and the like. Note that a general syringe may be used as the “ink storage member”.

  Furthermore, “holding the ink storage member detachably” includes “a holding hole provided with a rod-like holding portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the ink cylinder and into which the holding portion is fitted. Equipped with a clamping member that clamps the ink cylinder on the unit base, and a rod-shaped holding portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the ink cylinder and holding it on the unit base. The thing provided with the clamping member which clamps a part "etc. can be illustrated.

  Further, the “ink feeding mechanism” includes “a contact member that is supported so as to be movable up and down and non-rotatable and that can contact the lower end of the piston, a male screw member that is screwed with the contact member and extends vertically, and a male "With a motor that rotates a screw member", "with a rod that moves up and down by the pressure of the supplied fluid, and an actuator in which the upper end of the rod contacts the lower end of the cylinder", etc. Can do.

  In addition, the coloring movable member in the coloring device is “supported so as to be movable” in the ink accommodating recess, “supported to be slidable in the direction protruding from the opening”, and “perpendicular to the direction protruding from the opening” Examples include “slidably supported” and “rotatably supported”. In addition, when supporting a coloring movable member so that sliding is possible, it is desirable to be able to return to an original position. Examples of the “gap” between the coloring movable member and the opening in the coloring apparatus include “gap that causes capillary action”, “gap that does not leak to the outside due to the surface tension of the ink”, and the like. . Examples of the “coloring movable member” include “plate-shaped”, “columnar-shaped”, “spherical-shaped”, and the like. Note that only one colored movable member may be supported in the ink containing recess, or a plurality of colored movable members may be supported.

  Furthermore, examples of the “colored object” include “electric wires (wire covering materials)”, “ropes”, “steel wires”, “bars”, “pipe materials”, and the like. In addition, examples of the “coloring movement mechanism” include “things having an air cylinder as a driving source”, “things having a motor as a driving source”, “things having a solenoid as a driving source”, etc. it can. In addition, “contacting” the coloring object by the coloring moving mechanism means “moving the ink containing recess (coloring movable member) in a tangential direction with respect to the coloring object” and “ink storing recess (coloring movable) The member) is moved in the vertical direction with respect to the coloring object and comes into contact with the object to be colored. "

  According to this configuration, the ink storage member in which ink is stored is attached to the unit base, and the piston is slid upward by the ink feeding mechanism, so that the ink in the ink cylinder is pushed out from the spout. , And can be accommodated in the ink accommodating recess of the coloring device. Then, when the ink containing recess is moved from the retracted position to the coloring position by the coloring movement mechanism in a state where the ink is contained in the ink containing recess of the coloring device, the coloring movable member protruding from the opening of the ink containing recess is colored. Contact the object. Since the coloring movable member is supported so as to be movable in the ink containing recess, when the tip protruding from the opening abuts on the coloring object, the coloring movable member moves in the ink containing recess, and coloring is performed. By the movement of the movable member, the ink is discharged to the outside through the gap between the colored movable member and the opening, and can adhere to the colored object in contact with the colored movable member and be colored.

  When the coloring (adhesion) of the ink to the coloring object is specifically described in detail, when the coloring movable member is supported so as to be slidable in the direction protruding from the opening in the ink containing recess, the coloring movable member is colored. When contacting the object, the colored movable member moves in the direction of immersing into the ink containing recess, so that the volume of the ink containing recess is reduced, and the ink in the ink containing recess is placed between the opening and the colored movable member. It is pushed out from the gap and adheres to the colored object. Alternatively, when the coloring movable member is rotatably supported in the ink containing recess, when the coloring movable member is moved in a tangential direction with respect to the coloring object and brought into contact with the coloring object, the coloring movable member moves over the coloring object. Since the roller is rolled, the ink in the ink receiving recess is drawn out to adhere to the colored object while being adhered to the surface of the colored movable member by the rolling (rotation) of the colored movable member.

  In this way, the ink containing recess is moved and the coloring movable member is brought into contact with the object to be colored so that the ink is attached and the coloring is performed, so that the coloring material (ink) is ejected from the nozzle and the coloring is performed. In comparison, the ink does not scatter, the ink can be attached only to the contacted portion, and it can be clearly colored without color unevenness. In addition, since the ink does not scatter, the coloring unit including the coloring device is not contaminated with the ink, and the coloring device can be maintained in a good state for a long period of time. Productivity.

  In addition, since the ink storage member is detachably held with respect to the unit base, by preparing an ink storage member that stores ink in advance, it is only necessary to replace the ink storage member when the ink runs out. The productivity can be improved by shortening the operation stop time of the coloring unit as much as possible. In the coloring device, a predetermined amount of ink is stored in the ink storage recess, and even if there is no ink in the ink storage member, the ink storage member can be colored for a while. Therefore, the ink storage member is replaced with a new one in the meantime. Thus, the coloring unit can be operated continuously without stopping, and the productivity can be increased.

  Further, since the ink storage member is detachably held with respect to the unit base, the ink filling operation into the ink storage member in which ink may be scattered can be performed at a place different from the coloring unit. . Therefore, the coloring unit and the coloring object can be prevented from being soiled by the ink filling operation, so that it is possible to reduce the labor involved in maintenance such as cleaning of the coloring unit and increase productivity.

  By the way, when ink is supplied from the ink storage member to the coloring device, for example, when the ink storage member is arranged on the upper side of the coloring device with a spout provided at the lower end of the ink cylinder, ink is supplied by gravity. In this case, the ink supply pressure may change depending on the amount of ink stored in the ink storage member. When the supply pressure of ink is high, the ink is supplied more than necessary to the coloring device, and there is a problem that ink leakage occurs in the coloring device and the coloring object or the coloring unit becomes dirty. On the other hand, when the supply pressure of the ink is low, the amount of ink supplied to the coloring device is reduced, which causes a problem that the coloring object cannot be colored in a good state. Alternatively, when a mechanism in which the weight of the piston acts on the ink in the ink cylinder is employed as a mechanism for sliding the piston with the spout provided at the lower end of the ink cylinder, the ink in the ink cylinder is always kept Since the pressure is applied, ink may be supplied to the coloring device more than necessary, and ink leakage occurs in the coloring device, resulting in the same problem as described above.

  On the other hand, in this configuration, the ink storage member is held by the unit base in a state where the piston is positioned below the spout, and the ink is slid upward by the ink feeding mechanism so that the ink is ejected from the spout. Since the ink is dispensed, pressure can be applied to the ink in the ink cylinder only when the piston is slid upward by the ink feeding mechanism. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the ink from being supplied from the ink storage member to the coloring device side more than necessary, and to prevent the leakage of ink in the coloring device and contamination of the coloring object or the coloring device. can do.

  Further, by appropriately controlling the sliding of the piston by the ink feeding mechanism, a necessary amount of ink can be supplied to the coloring device at a constant pressure regardless of the amount of ink stored in the ink cylinder. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink from adhering too much or insufficiently to the object to be colored, and the object to be colored can be colored in a clear and good state without uneven color.

  A plurality of coloring devices may be supported on the unit base, and an ink storage member may be provided for each coloring device. Thereby, since a plurality of colors can be colored with respect to one coloring object, the coloring pattern can be diversified by a combination of the coloring color, the coloring position, the number of coloring positions, and the like. The discriminability can be improved, and advanced information can be given by the coloring pattern.

  Further, in addition to the above-described configuration, the coloring unit according to the present configuration may include “a stirrer that is movably accommodated between the spout and the piston in the ink cylinder of the ink storage member and is formed of a magnetic material. And a stirring drive mechanism that includes a piece and a magnet that moves the stirring piece within the ink cylinder by applying a magnetic force to the stirring piece.

  Here, examples of the “magnet” include “permanent magnet”, “electromagnet”, and the like. As the “stirring drive mechanism”, “a magnet holding unit that holds a magnet movably and a drive source that moves the magnet holding unit, and the stirring piece is moved by moving the magnet”, “as a magnet The thing which moves the stirring piece by changing the magnetic force which acts on the stirring piece by turning ON / OFF the energization of the electromagnet of this, or changing an electric current "etc. can be illustrated.

  According to this configuration, since the stirring piece can be moved in the ink cylinder by the stirring drive mechanism, the ink can be stirred by the movement of the stirring piece, and the dye, pigment, solvent, and other components contained in the ink can be stirred. Additives and the like can be prevented from separating or precipitating. Therefore, since the ink can be maintained in a good state, the color of the ink can be prevented from changing, or the ink can be prevented from being poorly cured. Can be colored.

  Furthermore, in addition to the above-described configuration, the coloring unit according to the present configuration may be configured to further include “an ink curing device that is attached to the coloring device and cures the ink colored on the coloring object”. .

  Here, as the “ink curing device”, any device corresponding to the physical properties of the ink to be used may be used. For example, when an ultraviolet curable paint is used as the ink, “ultraviolet LED”, “mercury lamp”, “ A metal halide lamp "etc. can be illustrated. Further, in the case of using ink that is cured by volatilization / drying, “infrared LED”, “incandescent lamp”, “heating semiconductor such as nichrome wire”, and the like can be exemplified.

  By the way, when the ink curing device that cures the ink adhered to the coloring object is arranged at a position away from the coloring device in the coloring unit, the ink adhered to the coloring object moves greatly in an uncured state. Therefore, there is a possibility that the uncured ink is scattered during the movement of the coloring object, or a portion of the coloring object to which the ink is attached comes into contact with another member. When the ink scatters or comes into contact with another member, there is a problem that the ink attached to the coloring object is peeled off and the coloring object becomes incomplete or the coloring object becomes dirty. Further, in this case, the inside of the coloring unit and the like is soiled, and a problem that troublesome maintenance such as cleaning occurs.

  In contrast, in this configuration, since the ink curing device is attached to the coloring device, the position where the ink is adhered to the coloring object and the position where the adhered ink is cured can be brought as close as possible. It is possible to prevent the colored object to which the uncured ink is adhered from moving greatly. Therefore, it is possible to suppress as much as possible that uncured ink scatters and the part where the ink is attached abuts against other members, and the coloring object can be colored beautifully. At the same time, the coloring unit and the like can be prevented from becoming dirty, so that the labor involved in maintenance can be simplified, and productivity can be increased.

  Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a coloring unit capable of clearly coloring a colored object such as a coating material of an electric wire without color unevenness and at the same time enhancing productivity. Can do.

It is explanatory drawing which shows roughly the wire harness manufacturing system using the coloring unit which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a plane sectional view of the coloring unit in FIG. FIG. 2 is a right side cross-sectional view of the coloring unit in FIG. 1. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows only the coloring apparatus of the coloring unit in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the ink containing recess is moved from the retracted position to the coloring position in the coloring device of FIG. 4. (A) is a perspective view which shows the adhesion mechanism which has the ink accommodating recessed part in a coloring device, (b) is a disassembled perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows a part of adhesion mechanism, (c) is the adhesion mechanism whole. It is a disassembled perspective view shown exploded, (d) is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the inside of the ink accommodating recessed part in an adhesion mechanism in a cross section. It is a perspective view which shows the exclusive ink hardening unit in the coloring unit of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows attachment / detachment of the ink storage member in the coloring unit of FIG.

  The coloring unit 1 which is one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The coloring unit 1 of the present embodiment is a coloring object that is colored by attaching ink to an electric wire D in which a conductive core wire such as metal is covered with an insulating covering material such as rubber or resin, This is applied to a wire harness manufacturing system 2 for manufacturing a wire harness W in which connectors C are connected to both ends of a plurality of electric wires D. In the coloring unit 1, the lower side in FIG. 2 and the left side in FIG. 3 will be referred to as the front side, and the upper side in FIG. 2 and the right side in FIG.

  The wire harness manufacturing system 2 of the present embodiment attaches ink to the wire supply unit 3 that supplies the white wire D with the coating material covering the core wire, and the coating material of the wire D supplied from the wire supply unit 3. A coloring unit 1 to be colored, an electric wire processing unit 4 for processing the electric wire D colored by the coloring unit 1 to be connectable to the connector C, and a connector C to which the electric wire D processed by the electric wire processing unit 4 is connected And a connector supply unit 5 for supplying to an operator. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the wire harness manufacturing system 2 is provided with the belt conveyor which conveys the electric wire D processed by the electric wire processing unit 4 to the operator located in the vicinity of the connector supply unit 5. FIG.

  Although not shown, the electric wire supply unit 3 corrects the curl of the electric wire D by bringing a plurality of rollers into contact with the drum around which the white electric wire D is wound and the electric wire D fed out from the drum. And a guide member that guides the electric wire D whose curl has been corrected by the correction mechanism toward the coloring unit 1 side.

  Although not shown, the electric wire processing unit 4 includes an electric wire holding roller that holds the electric wire D colored by the coloring unit 1 between a pair of rollers, and an electric wire feed motor that rotates the electric wire holding roller and sends the electric wire D. And a cutting / cutting device capable of cutting the electric wire D sent by the rotation of the electric wire feeding motor or cutting the coating material of the electric wire D.

  Although not shown, the connector supply unit 5 includes a connector housing member formed in a disk shape by arranging container-shaped connector housing portions open on the upper side in the circumferential direction, and rotatably supports the connector housing member. A base member that rotates, a housing member drive motor that rotates the connector housing member, a cover that has an opening of a size corresponding to one connector housing portion, covers the upper side of the connector housing member, and is fixed to the base member; It has.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the coloring unit 1 includes an ink storage member 10 that stores ink made of an ultraviolet curable paint, and an ink supply mechanism 20 that supplies ink stored in the ink storage member 10. And a coloring device 30 that is supplied with the ink fed by the ink feeding mechanism 20 and attaches the ink to the electric wire D and colors the driving force for attaching the ink to the coloring device 30. A drive mechanism 60 and an ink curing device 70 that irradiates and cures the ink attached to the electric wire D by the coloring device 30 with ultraviolet rays are provided.

  The coloring unit 1 includes a stirring piece 80 capable of stirring the ink stored in the ink storage member 10, a stirring drive mechanism 90 that moves the stirring piece 80 to stir the ink, a plurality of ink storage members 10, and a plurality of ink storage members 10. The coloring device 30 is detachably held, a unit base 100 to which a plurality of ink feeding mechanisms 20, a plurality of coloring driving mechanisms 60, and an agitation driving mechanism 90 are attached, and an ink storage attached to the unit base 100. A light-shielding unit cover 110 that covers the member 10, the ink feeding mechanism 20, and the coloring device 30, and a wire guide member 120 that is attached through the unit cover 110 and guides the wire D are provided.

  The ink storage member 10 of the coloring unit 1 includes an ink cylinder 11 having a small-diameter spout 11a formed at one end, a piston 12 that is watertight and slidably inserted into the ink cylinder 11, and the other end of the ink cylinder 11. A rectangular bar-shaped holding portion 13 attached to the ink cylinder 11 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the ink cylinder 11, and ink attached to one end of the ink cylinder 11 and dispensed from the spout 11a is fed to the coloring device. And a flexible feeding pipe 14 for the purpose. The piston 12 of the ink storage member 10 includes a rod-shaped rod portion 12 a that extends outward from the other end of the ink cylinder 11.

  The ink storage member 10 takes the form of a general syringe by the ink cylinder 11 and the piston 12. In the ink storage member 10, ink is stored between the spout 11 a in the ink cylinder 11 and the piston 12. By sliding the piston 12 toward one end of the ink cylinder 11, the ink is stored from the spout 11 a. Can be dispensed. The ink storage member 10 is detachably held with respect to the unit base 100 with the piston 12 positioned below the spout 11a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ink supply mechanism 20 of the coloring unit 1 is attached to the lower side of a portion of the unit base 100 that detachably holds the ink storage member 10. The ink feeding mechanism 20 includes a contact member 21 that can contact the lower end of the rod portion 12 a of the piston 12 of the ink storage member 10 held by the unit base 100, and a long length that extends downward from the contact member 21. A slider 22, a slider guide member 23 that supports the slider 22 so as to be movable only in the vertical direction, and is attached to the unit base 100; a male screw member 24 that is screwed with the contact member 21 and extends in the vertical direction; And a feeding motor 25 attached to the unit base 100 by rotating the male screw member 24.

  The contact member 21 of the ink feeding mechanism 20 includes a female screw hole 21a that penetrates in the vertical direction at a position away from the portion where the lower end of the rod portion 12a of the piston 12 contacts, and into which the male screw member 24 is screwed. Yes. The slider 22 extends downward from a position between the contact portion 21 and the female screw hole 21a. The lower end of the male screw member 24 is connected to the rotating shaft of the feed motor 25. The ink feeding mechanism 20 can raise and lower the contact member 21 by rotating the male screw member 24 by the feeding motor 25.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the coloring device 30 of the coloring unit 20 has a base plate 31 that is flat and has an insertion hole 31a through which the electric wire D is inserted at a substantially center, and is detachably attached to the unit base 100. Ink receiving portion 32 attached to 31 and connected to feeding pipe 14 of ink storage member 10, and ink received by ink receiving portion 32 is supplied and attached at a position away from insertion hole 31 a in base plate 31. A porous and flexible ink delivery member 33, a flow pipe 34 through which the ink delivery member 33 and the ink receiving part 32 communicate with each other, and a spout of the ink storage member 10 through the ink delivery member 33. Ink poured out from 11a is supplied to the electric wire D inserted through the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31. An attachment mechanism 40 that can be attached, a coloring position where the attachment mechanism 40 contacts the electric wire D inserted through the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31, and a retracted position where the attachment mechanism 40 moves away from the electric wire D and contacts the ink delivery member. A coloring movement mechanism 50 that moves the adhesion mechanism 40 between them.

  In the coloring device 30, an ink receiving portion 32, an ink delivery member 33, an adhesion mechanism 40, and a coloring movement mechanism 50 are arranged on one surface side of the base plate 31. In addition, as shown in the drawing, the coloring device 30 has ink delivery members 33 disposed on both sides in the long side direction of the base plate 31 with the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 as the center, and an adhesion mechanism corresponding to each ink delivery member 33. 40 is arranged symmetrically about the insertion hole 31a.

  The base plate 31 is formed in a rectangular shape by a metal plate, and an insertion hole 31a is formed at a position near the center in the short side direction and one side (lower side in FIGS. 4 and 5) from the center in the long side direction. Has been. Further, the base plate 31 has a notch 31b for fixing at a position on one side (left side in FIGS. 4 and 5) of the insertion hole 31a on the side surface on the long side.

  The ink receiving portion 32 is attached to the center of the short side direction at the other end portion of the base plate 31 in the long side direction, and the tip of the feed pipe 14 is detachably connected.

  The ink delivery member 33 is formed of a synthetic resin woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, sponge, or the like, and in this embodiment, a pair is provided. The pair of ink delivery members 33 are attached to the base plate 31 by brackets (not shown) at substantially the same distance in the long side direction with the insertion hole 31a in the base plate 31 as the center.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the attachment mechanism 40 includes a plate-shaped main body member 41 having an approximately rectangular outer shape, and an ink containing recess 42 having an opening 42 a formed in the main body member 41 and containing ink and communicating with the outside. A thin plate-shaped colored movable member 43 that is supported in a movable manner in the ink containing recess 42 and that has a tip protruding from the opening 42a with a gap formed between the opening 42a and a colored movable member. 43, a movement regulating member 44 that regulates the movement position in the direction protruding from the opening 42a and is disposed in the ink containing recess 42.

  The main body member 41 of the attachment mechanism 40 includes a bulging portion 41a whose tip bulges in a trapezoidal shape from one side surface of the long side, and a plurality of concavo-convex portions 41b formed on the tip surface of the bulging portion 41a. ing. The main body member 41 has a through-hole 41c extending in a rectangular shape in the short-side direction from a pair of oblique sides of the bulged portion 41a bulged in a trapezoidal shape, and extends in the short-side direction outside the through-hole 41c. And a pair of mounting holes 41 d for mounting the main body member 41 to the coloring moving mechanism 50.

  The ink containing recess 42 of the adhesion mechanism 40 is formed so as to penetrate the bulging portion 41a of the main body member 41 in the long side direction of the main body member 41, and the opening 42a is opened at the distal end surface of the bulging portion 41a. Yes. The ink containing recess 42 of the present embodiment is configured to extend in the long side direction of the main body member 41.

  The coloring movable member 43 of the adhesion mechanism 40 is formed of a metal plate that is thinner than the width of the ink containing recess 42 (in the thickness direction of the main body member 41). The coloring movable member 43 includes a strip-like main body 43a, a pair of cutouts 43b cut from one long side to the other long side at both longitudinal ends of the main body 43a, and a main body 43a. A pair of leg portions 43c projecting in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from the other long side at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of elastic portions 43d extending thinly from the projecting ends of the leg portions 43c toward each other. It is equipped with.

  The movement restricting member 44 of the adhesion mechanism 40 includes a rod-shaped flange 44a having a length substantially the same as the length of the ink containing recess 42, a protrusion 44b protruding from the center of the flange 44a to one side, and both ends of the flange 44a. A pair of extending portions 44c that respectively extend in the same direction as the direction in which the protruding portions 44b protrude from the pair, and a pair of restricting portions 44d that respectively protrude in directions approaching each other from the protruding end sides of the pair of extending portions 44c, A pair of locking portions 44e extending from opposite ends of the flange portion 44a to the opposite side of the extending portion 44c.

  The attachment mechanism 40 abuts the free end of the elastic portion 43d of the coloring movable member 43 on the protrusion 44b of the movement restricting member 44, and the restriction portion 44c of the movement restricting member 44 in the notch 43b of the coloring movable member 43. The elastic portion 43d of the colored movable member 43 is elastically deformed toward the main body portion 43a, and the cutout portion 43b comes into contact with the restricting portion 44c by the urging force of the elastic deformation, so that the colored movable member 43 is on one side. It will be in the state located at the moving end. In this state, there is a gap between the leg portion 43c of the coloring movable member 43 and the flange portion 44a of the movement restricting member 44, and the coloring movable member 43 is moved to the other side against the urging force of the elastic portion 43d. The leg portion 43c comes into contact with the flange portion 44c and the movement is restricted, and the colored movable member 43 is positioned at the moving end on the other side. Therefore, the colored movable member 43 can be supported by the movement restricting member 44 and the moving range can be restricted.

  The adhesion mechanism 40 inserts the movement restricting member 44 into the ink containing recess 42 with the movement restricting member 44 supporting a plurality of (three in this example) colored movable members 43, and accommodates the collar portion 44a with the ink. While making it contact | abut to the bottom part of the recessed part 42, a pair of latching | locking part 44e is made to contact | abut to the trapezoid-shaped oblique side in the bulging part 41a of the main body member 41. FIG. As a result, the openings at both ends in the long side direction of the main body member 41 in the ink containing recess 42 are closed by the extending portions 44 c of the movement restricting member 44, and the colored movable member 43 is moved via the movement restricting member 44. It will be in the state supported so that movement in the accommodation recessed part 42 was possible. In the present embodiment, the movement restricting member 44 is bonded and fixed to the main body member 41.

  In the assembled state, the one end portion of the main body portion 43a of the coloring movable member 43 protrudes from the opening portion 42a of the ink containing concave portion 42, and the adhesion mechanism 40 is colored against the urging force of the elastic portion 43d. When the movable member 43 is moved to the other side, the main body 43a can be immersed in the ink containing recess 42 (see FIG. 6D). Further, in the attachment mechanism 40, a gap in which a capillary phenomenon occurs is formed between the colored movable member 43 and the opening 42a of the ink containing recess 42 and between the colored movable members 43.

  The coloring movement mechanism 50 includes a pair of rail members 51 that extend in the long side direction of the base plate 31 and are symmetrically attached to an axis that extends in the long side direction passing through the center of the insertion hole 31a in the base plate 31, and each rail member. A pair of sliders 52 that are slidably supported by 51, and a pair of sliders 52 that are attached to the sliders 52 and to which an attachment mechanism 40 is attached, and a rack gear 53a that extends in the long side direction of the base plate 31 is formed on the opposite side surfaces. A rack member 53 and a spur gear-shaped transmission gear 54 that meshes with the rack gear 53 a of the pair of rack members 53 and is rotatably supported by the base plate 31 are provided.

  The coloring movement mechanism 50 is in contact with the rack member 53 to restrict the movement range of the attachment mechanism 40 attached to the rack member 53, and the stopper member 55 attached to the base plate 31, and one end side of the coloring movement mechanism 50 is related to the rack member 53. And a return spring 56 that is locked to the base plate 31 at the other end and returns the attachment mechanism 40 attached to the rack member 53 to the retracted position.

  The pair of rail members 51 are attached to the base plate 31 at a position where the distance in the short side direction of the pace plate 31 from the center of the insertion hole 31 a of the base plate 31 is farther than the ink delivery member 33.

  The pair of rack members 53 are configured to extend in the long side direction of the base plate 31, and the rack gear 53 a is formed on one side of the long side direction of the base plate 31 rather than the center of the longitudinal direction, and from the center of the longitudinal direction. The attachment mechanism 40 is attached to the side opposite to the side on which the rack gear 53a is formed. In addition, the pair of rack members 53 includes a stopper portion 53 b that can come into contact with the stopper member 55 at the other end portion of the base plate 31 in the long side direction.

  One rack member 53 of the pair of rack members 53 includes a driven portion 53 c that is driven by the coloring drive mechanism 60 at one end of the base plate 31 in the long side direction. In addition, the other rack member 53 of the pair of rack members 53 includes a locking portion 53 d in which one end of the return spring 56 is locked in the vicinity of one end of the base plate 31 in the long side direction. The other rack member 53 is biased to the other side in the long side direction of the base plate 31 by the return spring 56 by the return spring 56 being locked to the locking portion 53d.

  The transmission gear 54 is on an axis extending in the long side direction passing through the center of the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 and is farther from the center of the insertion hole 31a than the ink delivery member 33, and is located at one end in the long side direction of the base plate 31. It is supported at a nearby location. When the one of the rack members 53 is moved, the coloring movement mechanism 50 can move the other rack member 53 in the opposite direction by the action of the rack gear 53a and the transmission gear 54 of the pair of rack members 53.

  The coloring movement mechanism 50 includes a plate-like clamping member 57 that slidably holds the adhesion mechanism 40 between the coloring movement mechanism 50 and the rack member 53. The clamping member 57 is attached to the rack member 53 through the attachment hole 41 d of the main body member 41 in the attachment mechanism 40. The attachment mechanism 40 is attached to the rack member 53 in a state in which the attachment hole 41 d extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rack member 53. Therefore, the coloring movement mechanism 50 can attach the adhesion mechanism 40 so as to be slidable in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rack member 53.

  Further, the coloring moving mechanism 50 moves the attachment mechanism 40 attached to the rack member 53 via the holding member 57 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rack member 53 and in the direction approaching the insertion hole 31 a of the base plate 31. An approaching spring 58 that is biased, and a spring holding member 59 that supports the proximal end side of the approaching spring 58 and is attached to the rack member 53 are provided. The approaching spring 58 and the spring holding member 59 are located in the through hole 41c of the main body member 41 with the attachment mechanism 40 attached to the rack member 53, and the tip of the approaching spring 58 is a bulging portion 41a in the through hole 41c. A spring holding member 59 that is in contact with the inner surface on the near side and supports the proximal end side of the approaching spring 58 is attached in the vicinity of the inner surface away from the bulging portion 41a in the through hole 41c. The spring holding member 59 has a holding bar 59a extending into the auxiliary spring 58, and the holding bar 59a can prevent the approaching spring 58 from falling out of the through hole 41c.

  In the coloring movement mechanism 50, when one rack member 53 is moved by the rack gear 53a and the transmission gear 54 of the pair of rack members 53, the other rack member 53 is moved in the opposite direction. Therefore, when the coloring movement mechanism 50 makes the stopper part 53b of one rack member 53 contact the corresponding stopper member 55, the position where the stopper part 53b of the other rack member 53 is farthest from the corresponding stopper member 55. (See FIG. 4). On the other hand, when the stopper portion 53b of the other rack member 53 is brought into contact with the corresponding stopper member 55, the stopper portion 53b of the one rack member 53 is positioned farthest from the corresponding stopper member 55 (see FIG. 5). reference). The pair of rack members 53 has a state in which the end opposite to the stopper portion 53b extends outward from the short side of the base plate 31 when the respective stopper portions 53b are separated from the stopper member 55. Become.

  In addition, the coloring moving mechanism 50 has a portion where the attachment mechanism 40 is attached to the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 in the state where the stopper portion 53b of one rack member 53 is in contact with the corresponding stopper member 55. The position where the attachment mechanism 40 is attached to the rack member 53 is away from the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 in the approached position where the stopper portion 53b of the other rack member 53 is in contact with the corresponding stopper member 55. It becomes. Thereby, the coloring movement mechanism 50 attaches the coloring mechanism 40 to each rack member 53, whereby the pair of coloring mechanisms 40 can approach the insertion hole 31a and come into contact with the electric wire D, and the insertion hole 31a. It can be moved between the retracted position away from (electric wire D).

  In addition, the coloring moving mechanism 50 is attached to the pair of rack members 53 in such a direction that the opening portions 42a of the respective ink containing recesses 42 can face each other. Therefore, the coloring moving mechanism 50 contacts the electric wire D inserted through the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 by moving the tip of the coloring movable member 43 protruding from the opening 42a of the attachment mechanism 40 in the tangential direction. Can be made. Thereby, the coloring movement mechanism 50 can pinch the electric wire D by the pair of attachment mechanisms 40 and can roll the electric wire D along the coloring movable member 43 (the tip of the bulging portion 41a).

  In addition, the coloring moving mechanism 50 can attach the attachment mechanism 40 so as to be slidable in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rack member 53 by the rack member 53 and the holding member 57, and the approaching spring 58 and the spring holding member. The attachment mechanism 40 attached by 59 is urged in a direction approaching the insertion hole 31 a of the base plate 31. That is, the coloring movement mechanism 50 can support the adhesion mechanism 40 so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction of the electric wire D, and urges the adhesion mechanism 40 in a direction approaching the electric wire D. Therefore, even if the outer diameter of the electric wire D inserted into the insertion hole 31a changes, the tip of the coloring movable member 43 of the coloring mechanism 40 can be reliably brought into contact with the electric wire D.

  In the coloring device 30 of the present embodiment, the pair of attachment mechanisms 40 are attached to the pair of rack members 53 of the coloring movement mechanism 50 so that the openings 42a of the respective ink storage recesses 42 can face each other. Then, the coloring device 30 is configured such that the coloring movable member 43 that protrudes from the opening 42a with the opening 42a of the ink containing recess 42 facing each other around the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 is inserted into the insertion hole 31a. Between the coloring position that contacts the inserted electric wire D and the retracted position that the coloring movable member 43 that protrudes from the opening 42 a of the ink containing recess 42 away from the insertion hole 31 a (electric wire D) contacts the ink delivery member 33. Can be moved.

  The coloring drive mechanism 60 is a known air cylinder, and is attached to the lower side of the unit base 100 where the coloring device 30 is attached. The coloring drive mechanism 60 includes a rod-like drive rod 61 that comes into contact with the driven portion 53c of one rack member 53 in the coloring device 30 attached to the unit base 100 and moves up and down. Note that the same number of coloring drive mechanisms 60 as the number of coloring devices 30 that can be attached to the unit base 100 are attached. The coloring driving mechanism 60 can raise and lower the driving rod 61 by supplying pressurized air, and can drive the coloring moving mechanism 50 via the driven portion 53 c that is in contact with the upper end of the driving rod 61. it can.

  The ink curing device 70 includes a bracket 71 having an insertion hole 71a through which the electric wire D can be inserted, and a plurality (four in this example) of ultraviolet LEDs 72 that are attached to the bracket 71 and irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the center of the insertion hole 71a. (See FIG. 7). The ink curing device 70 is attached to the base plate 31 used in the coloring device 30 on the surface opposite to the side on which the adhesion mechanism 40 and the coloring movement mechanism are arranged. Further, in the ink curing device 70, the insertion hole 71 a is attached coaxially with the insertion hole 31 a of the base plate 31.

  In this ink curing device 70, the ultraviolet LED 72 is arranged as close as possible to the electric wire D, and the ultraviolet ray 72 is irradiated toward the center in the insertion hole 71a. The ultraviolet rays thus made do not easily leak from the insertion hole 71a, and the ink in the ink storage member 10 and the coloring device 30 can be prevented from curing. FIG. 7 shows a dedicated ink curing unit 75 in which only the ink curing device 70 is attached to the base plate 31 and has no coloring function.

  The stirring piece 80 is movably accommodated between the spout 11a in the ink cylinder 11 of the ink storage member 10 and the piston 12, and is formed of a magnetic material such as iron (see FIG. 3). The stirring piece 80 of this embodiment is formed in a disk shape with a hole.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the agitation drive mechanism 90 moves the magnet 91 disposed at a position close to the ink cylinder 11 of the ink storage member 10 held by the unit base 100 and the plurality of magnets 91 in the left-right direction. A horizontally long magnet holding member 92 that is held in a lined state, a slider 93 that is attached to the magnet holding member 92 at a substantially central position in the left-right direction, supports the slider 93 so as to be movable up and down, and extends in the vertical direction, while its lower end is a unit. A lift rail 94 attached to the base 100, a lift drive motor 95 attached to the lower end of the lift rail 94 for driving the slider 93 up and down, a drive pulley 96 rotated by the lift drive motor 95, and an upper end of the lift rail 94 A driven pulley 97 rotatably supported on the belt, and a belt 98 wound around the driven pulley 97 and the driving pulley 96. Includes a slider 93 on a part on the belt 98 is attached.

  The stirring drive mechanism 90 holds the plurality of magnets 91 at the same interval as the interval at which the magnet holding member 92 holds the plurality of ink storage members 10 in the unit base 100. In the present embodiment, the magnet 91 is a known permanent magnet.

  When the drive pulley 96 is rotated by the elevating drive motor 95, the stirring drive mechanism 90 rotates the belt 98 wound around the drive pulley 96 and the driven pulley 97, and the slider 93 attached to the belt 98 moves the belt 98. Move in the direction corresponding to the direction of rotation. Thereby, the stirring drive mechanism 90 can move the magnet 91 up and down via the slider 93 by the rotation of the drive motor 95. The stirring drive mechanism 90 can apply a magnetic force from the magnet 91 to the stirring piece 80 accommodated in the ink cylinder 11 of the ink storage member 10 held by the unit base 100. Therefore, by moving the magnet 91 up and down by the lift drive motor 95, the stirring piece 80 in the ink cylinder 11 can be attracted to the magnet 91 and moved (lifted) together with the magnet 91. As a result, the stirring piece 80 moves up and down in the ink cylinder 11 so that the ink in the ink cylinder 11 can be stirred.

  2, 3, 8, etc., the unit base 100 is mounted on a floor surface or the like and extends vertically, and the unit base 100 is perpendicular to the front surface from the front upper portion of the main body 101. A plate-like support shelf 102 extending to the front, an insertion port 103 that is open at the front end of the support shelf 102 and into which the holding portion 13 of the ink storage member 10 can be inserted, and protrudes into the insertion port 103 and can be elastically deformed outside the insertion port 103. And a plate-like elastic piece 104.

  The support shelf 102 of the unit base 100 extends in the left-right direction of the coloring unit 1. Further, a plurality (10 in this example) of the insertion openings 103 are arranged in the left-right direction. An agitation drive mechanism 90 is attached to the upper surface of the support shelf 102.

  The elastic piece 104 is elastically deformed out of the insertion port 103 when the holding portion 13 of the ink storage member 10 is inserted into the insertion port 103, and elastic force is applied to the holding portion 13 to hold the holding portion 13. Can be easily removed from the insertion opening 103. Thereby, the unit base 100 can hold | maintain the ink storage member 10 so that attachment or detachment is possible by the insertion port 103 and the elastic piece 104 (refer FIG. 8).

  Further, the unit base 100 is attached to the lower side of the support shelf 102 in the main body 101, and further includes a box-like feeding mechanism attaching member 105 to which the ink feeding mechanism 20 is attached and the upper side is opened. . Although not shown, the feeding mechanism mounting member 105 has substantially the same size in plan view as that of the support shelf 102 and extends in the vertical direction in side view as shown in FIG. The feeding mechanism mounting member 105 has a slider guide member 23 of the ink feeding mechanism 20 attached to a substantially central position in the vertical direction inside the front wall portion 105a, and a slider guide member inside the rear wall portion 105b. A feed motor 25 is attached to a position below the lower end of the 23. Further, the feeding mechanism attaching member 105 is formed above the position where the slider guide member 23 is attached on the front wall portion 105a, and extends in the vertical direction through which the contact member 21 of the ink feeding mechanism 20 can pass. A slit 106 is provided.

  The unit base 100 further includes a holding block 107 that is fixed to the upper surface of the main body 101 and extends in the left-right direction at a height that is approximately half the length of the long side of the base plate 31 in the coloring device 30. The holding block 107 has an opening 107a that has a width in the front-rear direction that is narrower than the short side of the base plate 31 in the coloring device 30 and extends substantially the entire length in the left-right direction. The holding block 107 is provided with holding grooves 107b extending in the vertical direction with substantially the same width as the thickness of the base plate 31 on the inner surfaces facing the front and rear direction in the opening 107a. The interval between the bottom surfaces of the holding grooves 107 b facing each other is formed to be slightly wider than the length of the short side of the base plate 31. Thereby, by inserting the long side of the base plate 31 into the holding grooves 107b facing each other, the surface of the base plate 31 can be held in a state in which it is directed in the left-right direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of holding grooves 107 b are provided at regular intervals in the left-right direction (13 sets in this example), and can hold a plurality of coloring devices 30.

  Further, when the holding block 107 holds the base plate 31 in the holding groove 107b in a state where the two notches 31b formed on the long side of the base plate 31 of the coloring device 30 are located below the insertion hole 31a, Two fixing holes 107c penetrating from the front side of the holding block 107 toward the opening 107a at the same height as the notch 31b are provided. These fixing holes 107c are formed with female threads on the inner peripheral surface. Accordingly, the base plate 31 can be pressed backward by screwing the bolt 108 into the fixing hole 107 c from the front side of the holding block 107 and bringing the tip of the bolt 108 into contact with the bottom of the notch 31 b of the base plate 31. At the same time, the base plate 31 can be prevented from moving upward. In addition, the plurality of coloring devices 30 can be reliably fixed in a state where the surface of the base plate 31 on which the adhesion mechanism 40 and the coloring movement mechanism 50 are arranged is directed to the right in the front view.

  The main body 101 has an opening 101a penetrating vertically at a position corresponding to a position where the coloring device 30 is held by the holding block 107 on the upper surface (see FIG. 3). Through this opening 101 a, the rack member 53 of the coloring device 30 held by the holding block 87 can extend below the upper surface of the main body 101.

  The unit base 100 also includes a mounting bracket 109 that is mounted in the main body 101 and to which the coloring drive mechanism 60 is mounted. With this mounting bracket 109, a plurality of coloring drive mechanisms 60 can be mounted at positions corresponding to positions where the coloring device 30 is held by the holding block 107.

  The unit cover 110 covers the ink storage member 10 and the coloring device 30 held by the unit base 100, and includes a cover body 111 formed in a box shape by a plate material, and an opening 112 penetrating through the upper surface and the front surface of the cover body 111. The door 112 includes an opening / closing door 113 attached to the cover body 111 so that the opening 112 can be opened and closed, and a handle 114 attached to the opening / closing door 113. The unit cover 110 closes the opening 112 of the cover main body 111 with the opening / closing door 113, so that light is irradiated from the outside to the ink storage member 10 and the coloring device 30 held by the unit base 100. Can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire guide member 120 has a guide hole 120a through which the electric wire D can pass, and is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape as a whole. The wire guide members 120 are respectively attached to the left and right side surfaces of the cover body 111 in the unit cover 110. Further, the two electric wire guide members 120 are respectively attached at positions where the central axis of the guide hole 120a is coaxial with the central axis of the insertion hole 31a of the base plate 31 held by the holding block 107 of the unit base 100. It has been. These electric wire guide members 120 can guide the electric wires D straightly in the unit cover 110.

  Next, the operation of the coloring unit 1 will be described. First, the contact member 21 of the ink supply mechanism 20 is set to the lowest position by the feed motor 25, and the drive rod 61 of the coloring drive mechanism 60 is set to the lowest position. Further, the opening / closing door 113 of the unit cover 110 is opened. Then, the coloring device 30 enters the unit cover 110 from the opening 112 of the unit cover 110, and the coloring device 30 is held by the holding block 107 of the unit base 100. In the present embodiment, ten coloring devices 30 are held by the holding block 107. A dedicated ink curing unit 75 in which only the ink curing device 70 is attached to the base plate 31 is held in the rightmost holding groove 107b in the holding block 107 (downstream side of the electric wire D). Thereby, the insertion hole 31a of each base plate 31 is located on the same axis as the guide hole 120a of the electric wire guide member 120. In the present embodiment, the ink curing device 70 is not attached to the leftmost coloring device 30.

  Subsequently, the tip of the white wire D having a white coating material drawn out from the wire supply unit 3 is inserted into the guide hole 120a from the outside with respect to the left wire guide member 120 in FIG. Then, the tips of the electric wires D are sequentially inserted rightward into the insertion holes 31a of the respective base plates 31 held by the unit base 100, and are extended to the outside of the unit cover 110 through the guide holes 120a of the opposite electric wire guide member 120. Let it come out. The end of the electric wire D extended from the unit cover 110 to the outside is sandwiched between the electric wire holding rollers of the electric wire processing unit 4 and then the electric wire holding roller is rotated by the electric wire feed motor so that the electric wires D are stretched. To do.

  On the other hand, the same number of ink storage members 10 as the number of coloring devices 30 held in the holding block 107 of the unit base 100 store the stirring pieces 80 in the ink cylinders 11 and store inks of different colors. . Then, with the spout 11a of each ink storage member 10 facing upward, the holding portion 13 of the ink storage member 10 is inserted into the insertion port 103 opened on the front surface of the support shelf 102 in the unit base 100, and the unit base Each ink storage member 10 is held by 100. Further, the tip of the feed pipe 14 extending from the upper end of each ink storage member 10 is connected to the ink receiving portion 32 of the coloring device 30 held on the rear side. Thereafter, the opening / closing door 113 of the unit cover 110 is closed, and the opening 112 is closed. As a result, the inside of the unit cover 110 becomes a dark room, and the plurality of ink storage members 10 and the plurality of coloring devices 30 in the unit cover 110 are prevented from being irradiated with light (ultraviolet rays) from the outside. This can prevent the ink from being cured.

  Subsequently, the feeding motor 25 of the ink feeding mechanism 20 is rotated to raise the contact member 21, so that the upper surface of the contact member 21 contacts the lower end of the rod 12 a of each ink storage member 10 held by the unit base 100. Make contact. When the contact member 21 is further raised by the feed motor 25, the piston 12 is pushed upward by the contact member 21, and the ink stored in the ink storage member 10 passes through the feed pipe 14 from the spout 11a. To the ink receiver 32 of the coloring device 30. The ink supplied to the ink receiving part 32 flows through the flow pipe 34 and is supplied to the ink delivery member 33 so that the porous ink delivery member 33 is impregnated.

  In the coloring device 30, in the initial state, the attaching mechanism 40 is located at the retracted position, and the tip of the coloring movable member 43 protruding from the opening 42 a of the ink containing recess 42 in the attaching mechanism 40 is connected to the ink delivery member 33. It is in contact. Since a gap is formed between the opening 42a and the coloring movable member 43, the ink impregnated in the ink delivery member 33 is sucked into the ink containing recess 42 by the capillary phenomenon due to the gap, and the ink is stored. The recess 42 is filled with ink. In other words, ink that has been dispensed from the spout 11a is accommodated in the ink accommodation recess 42. Thereby, the coloring unit 1 will be in the state which can be colored with respect to the electric wire D. FIG. At the retracted position, the tip of the bulging portion 41a of the attachment mechanism 40 also comes into contact with the ink delivery member 33, so that ink is accommodated in the uneven portion 41b formed at the tip of the bulging portion 41a and the bulging portion 41a. Ink is also attached to the tip of the ink.

  When the drive rod 61 of the coloring drive mechanism 60 is raised, the driven portion 53c of one rack member 53 in the coloring device 30 is pushed upward, the one rack member 53 is raised, and each rack member 53 is moved. The other rack member 53 is lowered by the rack gear 53 a and the transmission gear 54. Thereby, the adhesion mechanism 40 attached to the pair of rack members 53 moves in a direction approaching each other from the retracted position to the colored position that contacts the electric wire D.

  When the adhesion mechanism 40 is separated from the ink delivery member 33, the opening 42a of the ink containing recess 42 is exposed, but the surface tension acting on the ink in the gap between the opening 42a and the colored movable member 43 is exposed. Thus, the ink is prevented from leaking from the opening 42a, and the ink moves without leaking from the ink containing recess 42. When the distal end of the coloring movable member 43 in the adhesion mechanism 40 comes into contact with the electric wire D, the coloring movable member 43 enters the ink containing recess 42 against the urging force of the elastic portion 43d. By the immersion of the coloring movable member 43, the ink stored in the ink storage recess 42 is pushed out from the gap with the opening 42a, and the ink adheres to the surface of the electric wire D.

  More specifically, the pair of coloring mechanisms 40 that move to the coloring position abut against the electric wire D from the direction opposite to each other in the tangential direction, so that the tip of the coloring movable member 43 in the pair of coloring mechanisms 4 protrudes. The electric wire D is clamped by the tip of the protruding portion 41a. Since the uneven portion 41b is provided at the tip of the bulging portion 41a, the electric wire D rotates around its central axis by the resistance of the uneven portion 41b. Thereby, the tip of the bulging portion 41a in the coloring mechanism 40 abuts over the entire circumferential direction of the electric wire D, and ink can be attached to the entire circumference of the electric wire D with the width of the tip of the bulging portion 41a. it can.

  When the ink adheres to the electric wire D, the drive rod 61 of the coloring drive mechanism 60 is lowered so that the attachment mechanisms 40 attached to the pair of rack members 53 by the urging force of the return spring 56 are moved from the coloring position. Move to the retreat position.

  Thereafter, the electric wire holding roller is rotated by the electric wire feeding motor of the electric wire processing unit 4 to move the electric wire D to the right, and the ink-cured portion is attached to the base plate 31 held on the right side in plan view. It is located in the insertion hole 71a of the device 70 and stopped. Then, the ultraviolet light LED of the ink curing device 70 is caused to emit light and the ink adhered to the electric wire D is cured. Thereby, coloring to the electric wire D is completed.

  In the present embodiment, the ten coloring devices 30 held by the unit base 100 can color black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, gray, white from one side. . Therefore, the electric wire D can be colored with a desired color by driving the coloring drive mechanism 60 corresponding to the coloring device 30 for coloring the desired color. Moreover, it can be colored at a desired position with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire D by appropriately controlling the electric wire feeding motor in the electric wire processing unit 4. Thereby, not only a single color can be colored for one electric wire D, but also a plurality of colors can be colored in different positions, the number of positions to be colored, the interval between the positions to be colored, etc. It can be made different and colored like a barcode.

  The coloring device 30 for coloring white has a configuration in which black ink is supplied from the ink storage member 10 and the coloring movable member 43 accommodated in the ink accommodating recess 42 in the adhesion mechanism 40 is omitted. Accordingly, since only the tip of the bulging portion 41a located on both sides of the opening 42a of the ink containing recess 42 in the coloring mechanism 40 contacts the electric wire D, the ink delivered to the tip of the bulging portion 41a by the ink delivery member 33 A pair of wires separated by the width of the opening 42a can be attached to the electric wire D. Thereby, it is supposed that white was colored with the white coating | covering material of the electric wire D which appeared between a pair of lines.

  By the way, the coloring unit 1 causes the ink in the coloring device 30 to decrease by coloring the electric wire D in the coloring device 30, so that the feeding motor 25 of the ink feeding device 20 corresponding to the number of times of coloring is changed. The piston 12 of the ink storage member 10 is raised by a predetermined amount by the contact member 21, and the ink is supplied from the ink storage member 10 to the coloring device 30. After that, when the piston 12 of the ink storage member 10 reaches the upward moving end in the ink cylinder 11, the piston 12 serves as a stopper even if the abutting member 21 is raised by the feeding motor 25. The member 21 cannot be raised, and the load on the feeding motor 25 is increased. The coloring unit 1 detects the load on the feeding motor 25 to detect that the piston 12 has stopped moving, that is, the ink in the ink storage member 10 has been exhausted. To prompt the user to replace the ink (ink storage member 10).

  Further, the coloring unit 1 causes the magnet 91 to reciprocate up and down by periodically repeating forward and reverse rotations of the elevating drive motor 95 in the stirring drive mechanism 90. Thereby, the stirring piece 80 in the ink cylinder 11 attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet 91 moves up and down, and the ink in the ink cylinder 11 is stirred by the stirring piece 80.

  The wire harness manufacturing system 2 of the present embodiment has the same coloring pattern at both ends corresponding to the form of the wire harness W to be manufactured by the electric wire supply unit 3, the coloring unit 1, and the electric wire processing unit 4. A plurality of electric wires D of a predetermined length colored with can be produced. These produced electric wires D correspond to the form of the wire harness W to be manufactured. And with respect to the produced some electric wire D, the connector C corresponding to the wire harness W manufactured with the connector supply apparatus 5 is supplied to an operator, and an operator respond | corresponds to the coloring pattern in the connector C. The wire harness W can be manufactured by connecting to the position.

  Thus, according to the coloring unit 1 of the present embodiment, since the attachment mechanism 40 in the coloring device 30 is moved and the coloring movable member 43 is brought into contact with the electric wire D, the ink is attached and the coloring is performed. Compared with the case of coloring by ejecting a coloring material (ink) from the nozzle, the ink does not scatter and the ink can be attached only to the contacted portion, and it is clearly colored without color unevenness. be able to. Further, since the ink does not scatter, the coloring unit 1 including the coloring device 30 is not soiled with ink, and the coloring device 30 and the like can be maintained in a good state for a long time. Can be reduced to increase productivity.

  In addition, since the ink storage member 10 is detachably held with respect to the unit base 100, by preparing the ink storage member 10 that stores ink in advance, the ink storage member 10 is replaced when the ink runs out. It is only necessary to shorten the operation stop time of the coloring unit 1 as much as possible, thereby improving the productivity. In the coloring device 30, a predetermined amount of ink is stored in the ink delivery member 33 and the ink storage recess 42 and can be colored for a while even if the ink in the ink storage member 10 runs out. By replacing the storage member 10 with a new one, the coloring unit 1 can be operated continuously without stopping, and productivity can be increased.

  Further, since the ink storage member 10 is detachably held with respect to the unit base 100, the ink filling operation into the ink storage member 10 in which ink may be scattered is performed at a place different from the coloring unit 1. It can be carried out. Therefore, the coloring unit 1 and the electric wires D can be prevented from being soiled by the ink filling operation, so that the labor involved in maintenance such as the cleaning of the coloring unit 1 can be reduced and the productivity can be increased.

  Further, the ink storage member 10 is held by the unit base 100 in a state where the piston 12 is positioned below the spout 11a, and the ink 12 is moved upward by the ink feeding mechanism 20 to inject ink from the spout 11a. Therefore, the pressure can be applied to the ink in the ink cylinder 11 only when the piston 12 is moved upward by the ink feeding mechanism 20. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from being supplied from the ink storage member 10 to the coloring device 30 more than necessary, and ink leakage occurs in the coloring device 30 and the electric wires D and the coloring device 30 are contaminated. Can be prevented.

  In addition, by appropriately controlling the movement of the piston 12 by the ink feeding mechanism 20, a necessary amount of ink is supplied to the coloring device 30 at a constant pressure regardless of the amount of ink stored in the ink cylinder 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink from adhering too much to the electric wire D or insufficiently adhering to the electric wire D, and the electric wire D can be colored in a clear and good state without color unevenness.

  Further, the stirring piece 80 can be moved in the ink cylinder 11 by the stirring drive mechanism 90 to stir the ink, so that the dye, pigment, solvent, other additives, etc. contained in the ink can be separated or precipitated. Can be prevented. Accordingly, since the ink can be maintained in a good state, the color of the ink can be prevented from being changed, and the ink can be prevented from being poorly cured. Can be colored.

  In addition, since the ink curing device 70 is attached to the coloring device 30, the position where the ink is adhered to the electric wire D and the position where the adhered ink is cured can be brought as close as possible to each other. It can be avoided that the electric wire D to which the is attached moves greatly. Therefore, it is possible to prevent uncured ink from splashing from the electric wire D and to prevent the portion of the electric wire D to which ink is attached from coming into contact with other members as much as possible. In addition to being able to color, it is possible to prevent the coloring unit 1 and the like from being soiled, simplify the maintenance work, and increase productivity.

  The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as described below. And design changes are possible.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the stirring drive mechanism 90 has been shown to move the stirring piece 80 by moving the magnet 91 up and down, but is not limited to this, for example, near the upper and lower ends of the ink cylinder 11 The agitating piece 80 may be moved up and down by arranging electromagnets and alternately energizing the electromagnets.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ink storage recess 42 in the coloring device 30 is indirectly stored with the ink supplied from the ink storage member 10 via the ink delivery member 33. For example, the flow pipe 34 connecting the ink receiving portion 32 and the ink delivery member 33 is connected to the ink receiving portion 32 and the ink containing recess 42, and the ink from the ink storage member 10 is supplied. Alternatively, the ink may be stored directly in the ink storage recess 42.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coloring unit 10 Ink storage member 11 Ink cylinder 11a Spout 12 Piston 20 Ink supply mechanism 30 Coloring device 31 Base plate 31a Insertion hole 33 Ink delivery member 40 Adhering mechanism 41 Main body member 42 Ink storage recess 42a Opening 43 Coloring movable member 50 Coloring moving mechanism 60 Coloring driving mechanism 70 Ink curing device 72 UV LED
80 Stirring piece 90 Stirring drive mechanism 100 Unit base 110 Unit cover 120 Electric wire guide member D Electric wire W Wire harness

International Publication No. 2004/049354

Claims (3)

An ink cylinder having a small-diameter spout formed at one end thereof, and a piston inserted in the ink cylinder so as to be watertight and slidable; ink is disposed between the spout and the piston in the ink cylinder; A stored ink storage member;
A unit base for detachably holding the ink storage member in a state where the piston is positioned below the spout;
An ink feeding mechanism that is attached to the unit base and slides the piston of the ink storage member held by the unit base upward;
By sliding the piston upward by the ink feeding mechanism, the ink dispensed from the spout is accommodated and moved into the ink accommodating recess having an opening communicating with the outside. And a coloring movable member having a tip projecting from the opening in a state where a gap is formed between the opening and the coloring portion, and a coloring position where the tip of the coloring movable member contacts a coloring object and the coloring A coloring device comprising: a coloring moving mechanism that moves the ink containing recess between the movable member and the retracted position where the tip of the movable member is away from the coloring object; and a coloring device supported by the unit base. unit. A stirring piece that is movably accommodated between the spout and the piston in the ink cylinder of the ink storage member and is formed of a magnetic material;
The coloring unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a stirring drive mechanism that includes a magnet that moves the stirring piece in the ink cylinder by applying a magnetic force to the stirring piece, and is attached to the unit base.   The coloring unit according to claim 1, further comprising an ink curing device that is attached to the coloring device and cures the ink colored on the coloring object.

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