JP2018073783A - Manufacturing apparatus of connector with electric wire - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a controller of a connector with electric wires, with which additional members different in each sort of connectors with electric wires can be attached to the wire with ease and accuracy.SOLUTION: A manufacturing apparatus 1 manufactures a connector 30 with electric wires having an electric wire 31, a connector 33, and one or more additional members 34. The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a work table 10 for work by an operator, and a feeder 20 to feed the additional members 34 to the work table 10. The work table 10 has a holding part 11 capable of holding the connector 33. The feeder 20 has a plurality of mutually independent housing boxes 22 capable of separating the additional members 34 according to their respective sorts and housing them. The feeder 20 identifies the sort of the connector 33 held by the holding part 11 and transports the housing box 22 housing the additional member 34 corresponding to the sort of the identified connector 33 to a position nearer to the operator than the housing box 22 housing the additional member 34 not corresponding to the sort of the identified connector 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a connector with electric wires.

  Conventionally, when manufacturing a connector with electric wires in which a connector is connected to an end portion of an electric wire, it is known to attach various attachment members (for example, a corrugated tube, a vinyl tape, a clamp, etc.) to the electric wire (for example, (See Patent Documents 1 to 3.) For example, in attaching such an accessory member, one of the conventional methods is such that a corrugated tube having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the electric wire is attached to the electric wire (see, particularly, Patent Document 1). .

JP 2013-232347 A JP-A-11-37349 JP2015-122829A

  By the way, not only the outer diameter of the electric wire described above, but also the corrugate to be attached to the electric wire according to the type of the connector with electric wire (for example, the use of the connector with electric wire, the number of electric wires included in the connector with electric wires, the thickness of the electric wire, etc. The tube form (eg, length, material, etc.) may be different. In this case, for example, a shelf in which various corrugated tubes are stored in advance is provided in the vicinity of the work table for manufacturing the connector with electric wires, and the operator appropriately selects an appropriate corrugated tube corresponding to the type of connector with electric wires from this shelf. It is possible.

  However, selection of such an appropriate corrugated tube requires the skill of an operator and the like, and it is difficult to improve the working efficiency of manufacturing a connector with electric wires. Furthermore, even a skilled worker may select a corrugated tube that does not correspond to the type of connector with wires (incorrect) in some cases. Such a problem can occur not only in the corrugated tube but also in attachment of various attachment members attached to the connector with electric wires. From the viewpoint of improving the productivity of the connector with electric wires, it is desirable to construct a method for selecting a corrugated tube that is different for each type of connector with electric wires as easily and accurately as possible regardless of the skill level of the operator.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a connector with electric wires, which can easily and accurately attach different accessory members for each type of connector with electric wires. It is to provide.

In order to achieve the above-described object, an apparatus for manufacturing a connector with electric wires according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (3).
(1)
An apparatus for manufacturing a connector with electric wires having an electric wire, a connector, and one or more attachment members,
A workbench for an operator to perform the work of attaching the electric wire to the connector and the work of attaching the accessory member to the electric wire, and a feeder that is adjacent to the workbench and supplies the accessory member to the workbench. With
The workbench is
A holding portion capable of holding the connector;
The feeder is
It has a plurality of movable storage boxes capable of storing the attachment members by type, and identifies the type of the connector held in the holding unit and corresponds to the identified type of the connector Moving the accommodation box containing the attachment member to a position closer to the operator than the accommodation box containing the attachment member not corresponding to the type of the identified connector;
It is a manufacturing device for connectors with electric wires.
(2)
The manufacturing apparatus according to (1) above,
The workbench is
As the holding portion, a plurality of recesses having different shapes for each type of the connector, each of the recesses having a plurality of recesses provided with sensors for detecting the insertion of the connector,
The feeder is
Based on the output of the sensor, the type of the connector held in the holding unit is identified.
It is a manufacturing device for connectors with electric wires.
(3)
In the manufacturing apparatus according to (1) or (2) above,
The accessory member is
It is a corrugated tube attached to the electric wire,
It is a manufacturing device for connectors with electric wires.

  According to the apparatus for manufacturing a connector with an electric wire having the configuration (1), the feeder that supplies the attachment member to the work table has a plurality of movable accommodation boxes that can accommodate various attachment members separately for each type. Provided. Then, when the worker holds the connector on the holding unit of the work table, the feeder automatically identifies the type of the connector. In addition, the feeder can change a storage box (appropriate storage box) containing an attachment member corresponding to the identified connector type into a storage box (not suitable) containing an attachment member not corresponding to the identified connector type. Move to a position closer to the operator than the appropriate containment box. Thereby, the operator can select the attachment member corresponding to the connector (and thus the connector with electric wire) only by selecting the attachment member in the storage box at a position close to the worker. In other words, an appropriate attachment can be easily and accurately selected regardless of the skill level of the operator.

  Therefore, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the connector with an electric wire having the above-described configuration, it is possible to easily and accurately attach an accessory member different for each type of the connector with an electric wire.

  According to the apparatus for manufacturing a connector with an electric wire having the configuration (2), the connector type is determined by holding (inserting) the connector in a holding portion (a concave portion unique to each connector type) provided on the workbench. Be recognized. In other words, the holding of the connector on the work table and the identification of the connector type are performed collectively (simultaneously). Therefore, the productivity of the connector with electric wires can be improved as compared with the case where these are performed independently. Furthermore, the connector type can be easily and reliably identified as compared with other complicated methods (for example, a method of specifying the connector type by image recognition based on a photograph of the connector taken).

  According to the manufacturing apparatus of the connector with electric wire of the configuration of (3), the manufacturing apparatus of the configuration of (1) and (2) is applied to the corrugated tube generally used as an attachment member attached to the connector with electric wire. it can.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing apparatus of the connector with an electric wire which can attach to an electric wire easily without an error the attachment member which changes for every kind of connector with an electric wire can be provided.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading a form for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig.1 (a) is the schematic diagram which showed notionally the manufacturing apparatus of the connector with an electric wire which concerns on embodiment of this invention, FIG.1 (b) is a perspective view for demonstrating the detail of a corrugated tube. is there. FIG. 2 shows that the storage box containing the corrugated tube corresponding to the identified connector type moves to a position close to the worker, and the worker takes out the corrugated tube corresponding to the type from the storage box and turns it into an electric wire. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 1 for demonstrating a mode that it attaches. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the work table for explaining the connector insertion hole and the switch provided in the work table, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. is there.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, an apparatus for manufacturing a connector with wires according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as “manufacturing apparatus 1”) will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is an apparatus which manufactures the connector 30 (refer FIG. 2) with an electric wire which has a some classification. As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the connector 30 with an electric wire has the electric wire 31, the terminal 32 attached (for example, crimped | bonded) to the edge part of the electric wire 31, and the terminal 32 (for example, terminal) A connector 33 housed in a corresponding terminal housing chamber and a corrugated tube 34 attached to the electric wire 31. In addition, in this example, although the connector 30 with an electric wire has the three electric wires 31, the number of the electric wires 31 which the connector 30 with an electric wire has is not restrict | limited in particular.

  In this example, depending on the type of the connector 30 with electric wire, the form of the connector 33 attached to the electric wire 31 (outer shape, etc.) and the form of the corrugated tube 34 attached to the electric wire 31 (size, length, material, etc. of inner diameter) Is different. In other words, a connector 33 and a corrugated tube 34 having a unique form that is different for each type are attached to the connector 30 with electric wires.

  In this example, as an example, three types of type A, type B, and type C are assumed as types of the connector 30 with electric wire. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, connectors 33 and corrugated tubes 34 corresponding to type A, type B, and type C (connectors and corrugated tubes selected corresponding to various types) are respectively connected to connector 33a, corrugated tube 34a, and connector 33b. And the corrugated tube 34b, and the connector 33c and the corrugated tube 34c.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a work table 10 for an operator to perform various operations necessary for manufacturing the connector 30 with electric wires, a feeder 20 that supplies a corrugated tube 34 to the work table 10, Is provided.

  First, the workbench 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the work table 10 has a front side (left side in FIG. 1) with respect to the horizontal direction so that an operator standing on the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the work table 10 can easily perform various operations. And is arranged at a predetermined height from the floor 41. In the work table 10, the worker performs at least the operation of attaching the connector 33 to the terminal 32 attached to the electric wire 31 and the operation of attaching the corrugated tube 34 to the electric wire 31 to which the connector 33 is attached. The terminal 32 may be attached in advance to the end of the electric wire 31 using another device (applicator or the like), or may be attached to the end of the electric wire 31 in the work table 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the surface (working surface) of the work table 10 is provided with a plurality of connector insertion holes 11 (holding portions) that are concave portions for inserting and holding the connectors 33. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, specifically, as the connector insertion hole 11, a connector insertion hole 11a and a connector insertion hole 11b for inserting the connector 33a, the connector 33b, and the connector 33c, respectively. The connector insertion holes 11c are provided in a line at intervals. Each connector insertion hole 11 has a hole shape corresponding to the external shape unique to the corresponding connector 33.

  As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, a switch 12 (sensor) that detects insertion of the connector 33 is provided on the bottom surface of each connector insertion hole 11. Specifically, a switch 12a, a switch 12b, and a switch 12c that detect insertion of the connector 33a, the connector 33b, and the connector 33c are provided on the bottom surfaces of the connector insertion hole 11a, the connector insertion hole 11b, and the connector insertion hole 11c, respectively. ing. Each switch 12 is turned off when the connector 33 corresponding to the corresponding connector insertion hole 11 is not inserted, and is pressed by the connector 33 and turned on when inserted. As will be described later, the output of each switch 12 (a value indicating whether the switch 12 is in an ON state or an OFF state) is transmitted to a control device 26 provided in the feeder 20.

  Next, the feeder 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the supply machine 20 is disposed adjacent to the work table 10 in a lower space of the work table 10. The feeder 20 includes a placement plate 21. The placement plate 21 is disposed so as to be inclined so that the front side (left side in FIG. 1) is high and the back side (right side in FIG. 1) is low when viewed from the operator. A plurality of storage boxes 22 for storing the corrugated tubes 34 are mounted on the mounting plate 21.

  Specifically, as the storage box 22, a storage box 22a, a storage box 22b, and a storage box 22c that respectively store the corrugated tube 34a, the corrugated tube 34b, and the corrugated tube 34c are placed independently of each other. Each storage box 22 is open at the end on the front side (left side in FIG. 1) so that the operator can easily take out the corrugated tube 34 stored therein.

  As shown in FIG.1 (b), the corrugated tube 34 has the slit 35 extended in an axial direction in one place of the circumferential direction. The corrugated tube 34 has a bellows shape in which a plurality of concave portions 36 and convex portions 37 extending in the circumferential direction are alternately formed in the axial direction. The corrugated tube 34 is attached to the electric wire 31 by accommodating the electric wire 31 in the hollow portion through the slit 35 (see also FIG. 2). After the corrugated tube 34 is attached to the electric wire 31, the electric wire 31 and the corrugated tube 34 may be fixed so as not to be relatively movable with an adhesive tape or the like. The corrugated tube 34 is made of a soft synthetic resin or the like. The corrugated tube 34 protects the electric wire 31 accommodated in the hollow portion thereof from external impact and friction.

  Each storage box 22 is guided by a rail or the like (not shown) provided on the mounting plate 21, and on the mounting plate 21, the “supply position” on the near side (left side in FIG. 1) and the back side Relative movement is possible between the “retreat position” (right side in FIG. 1). 1 and 2 show a state in which the storage box 22a is in the supply position and the storage box 22b and the storage box 22c are in the retracted position.

  The position of each storage box 22 is controlled by a corresponding air cylinder mechanism 23 provided on the mounting plate 21. Specifically, as the air cylinder mechanism 23, an air cylinder mechanism 23a, an air cylinder mechanism 23b, and an air cylinder mechanism 23c connected to the storage box 22a, the storage box 22b, and the storage box 22c, respectively, are provided.

  Each air cylinder mechanism 23 is connected to an air compressor 25 via a valve mechanism 24. By controlling the valve mechanism 24 and the air compressor 25, the position of each storage box 22 can be arbitrarily controlled independently of each other to either the supply position or the retracted position.

  Furthermore, the supply machine 20 includes a control device 26 formed of a microcomputer. The control device 26 is connected to each switch 12, the valve mechanism 24 and the air compressor 25. The control device 26 controls the valve mechanism 24 and the air compressor 25 on the basis of the input signal from each switch 12, so that the position of each storage box 22 is made independent of either the supply position or the retracted position. Control. At that time, specifically, the control device 26 controls the storage box 22 corresponding to the type of the connector 33 (and consequently the connector 30 with electric wire) corresponding to the switch 12 in the ON state to the supply position, and puts it in the OFF state. The storage box 22 corresponding to the type of connector 33 corresponding to a certain switch 12 is controlled to the retracted position.

  Therefore, when the worker inserts the connector 33 corresponding to the type of the connector 30 with electric wire to be manufactured into the corresponding connector insertion hole 11, only the storage box 22 corresponding to the type is arranged at the supply position close to the worker. The remaining storage box 22 is disposed at a retracted position far from the operator. Thereby, the storage box 22 in which the corrugated tube 34 to be attached to the electric wire 31 is stored is arranged closer to the operator than the remaining storage boxes 22. Therefore, the operator can easily recognize the corrugated tube 34 to be attached to the electric wire 31.

  Hereinafter, an example of the manufacturing operation of the connector 30 with electric wire performed by the worker using the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, first, an operator standing on the front side of the work table 10 (left side in FIG. 1) stores a corresponding corrugated tube 34 in each storage box 22 in advance. At this time, since the connector 33 is not inserted into any of the connector insertion holes 11, all the storage boxes 22 are in the retracted position.

  Next, the worker prepares the electric wire 31 (the terminal 32 has been attached in advance) and the connector 33 corresponding to the type of the connector 30 with electric wire to be manufactured on the work table 10. Then, the operator inserts the connector 33 into the corresponding connector insertion hole 11 and attaches the terminal 32 at the end of the electric wire 31 to the connector 33.

  At this time, only the storage box 22 corresponding to the type of the inserted connector 33 moves from the retracted position to the supply position. The remaining storage box 22 is still maintained in the retracted position. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the connector 33a is inserted into the connector insertion hole 11a (the switch 12a changes from the OFF state to the ON state), so that only the storage box 22a is moved to the supply position. That is, the storage box 22a in which the corrugated tube 34a to be attached to the electric wire 31 is stored is arranged closer to the operator than the remaining storage boxes 22b and 22c. Since the movement of the storage chamber 22a is automatically performed by the feeder 20, the operator can attach the terminal 32 to the connector 33 (insert it into the terminal storage chamber) while the storage chamber 22a is moving.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2A, the operator takes out the corrugated tube 34a from the storage box 22a at the supply position, attaches the taken out corrugated tube 34a to the electric wire 31, and pulls out the connector 33a from the connector insertion hole 11a. . Thereby, the type A connector 30 with electric wire is completed. When the connector 33a is removed from the connector insertion hole 11a (the switch 12a changes from the ON state to the OFF state), the storage box 22a returns from the supply position to the retracted position. That is, all the storage boxes 22 are arranged in the retracted position. As will be described later, even if the connector 33a is removed from the connector insertion hole 11a, the current state (the state in which the storage chamber 22a is in the supply position) may be maintained.

  As described above, according to the manufacturing apparatus 1 for the connector 30 with electric wire according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the connector 33 is held in the connector insertion hole 11 of the work table 10, The type of the connector 33 is identified by the input signal, the housing box 22 in which the corrugated tube 34 corresponding to the identified type of the connector 33 is accommodated, and the corrugated tube 34 not corresponding to the identified type of the connector 33 is accommodated. It moves to a position closer to the operator than the storage box 22.

  Thereby, the operator can easily recognize the corrugated tube 34 to be attached to the electric wire 31. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 can easily attach the corrugated tube 34 that is different for each type of the connector 30 with electric wire to the electric wire 31 without error.

  Furthermore, according to the manufacturing apparatus 1, the type of the connector 33 is recognized by holding (inserting) the connector 33 in the connector insertion hole 11 (having a concave portion unique to each type of connector) provided in the work table. The In other words, the holding of the connector 33 on the work table and the identification of the type of the connector 33 are performed collectively (simultaneously). Therefore, productivity of the connector 30 with an electric wire can be improved compared with the case where these are performed independently. Furthermore, the type of the connector 33 can be easily and reliably identified as compared with other complicated methods (for example, a method of specifying the type of the connector by image recognition based on a photograph of the connector 33 taken).

<Other aspects>
In addition, this invention is not limited to said each embodiment, A various modification is employable within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, and the like can be made as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, and the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and are not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the control device 26 controls the storage box 22 corresponding to the type of the switch 12 in the ON state to the supply position, and moves the storage box 22 corresponding to the type of the switch 12 in the OFF state to the retreat position. It comes to control. Therefore, even when the connector 30 with the same type of electric wire is continuously manufactured, the storage box 22 corresponding to the type changes the supply position and the retracted position in accordance with the insertion operation and the extraction operation of the connector 33. Will make a round trip.

  On the other hand, the control device 26 moves the storage box 22 corresponding to the type of one switch 12 that has changed from the OFF state to the ON state among the plurality of switches 12, and then the other switches 12 are in the OFF state. The storage box 22 may be maintained at the supply position until the state changes from ON to ON. In other words, the control device 26 returns the storage box 22 maintained at the supply position to the retracted position when the other switch 12 changes from the OFF state to the ON state, and the storage box corresponding to the other switch 12. You may control so that 22 may be moved to a supply position. In this case, when the same type of connector 30 with electric wire is continuously manufactured, the storage box 22 corresponding to the type is maintained at the supply position regardless of the insertion operation and the extraction operation of the connector 33.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the type of the connector 33 is identified by a signal sent from the switch 12 to the feeder 20. However, identification of the type of the connector 33 is not necessarily performed by this method, and may be performed by another method. For example, a connector held in the “holding unit” of the work table 10 may be photographed from the upper part of the work table, and the connector 33 may be identified through image recognition using the image. Further, a plurality of buttons corresponding to the type of the connector 33 may be provided on the work table, and the type of the connector 33 may be identified by pressing the button corresponding to the connector 33 used by the operator.

  In addition, in the above embodiment, the corrugated tube 34 is used as the “attachment member”. However, a member other than the corrugated tube 34 may be used as the “attachment member”, and a member other than the corrugated tube 34 may be used in addition to the corrugated tube 34.

Here, the features of the embodiment of the above-described manufacturing apparatus for the connector with electric wire according to the present invention are summarized and listed in the following (1) to (3), respectively.
(1)
An apparatus (1) for producing a connector (30) with an electric wire having a wire (31), a connector (33), and one or a plurality of attachment members (34),
A work table (10) for an operator to perform an operation of attaching the electric wire to the connector and an operation of attaching the attachment member to the electric wire, and a supply that is adjacent to the work table and supplies the attachment member to the work table. A machine (20),
The work table (10)
A holding portion (11) capable of holding the connector;
The feeder (20)
The attachment member (34) has a plurality of movable storage boxes (22) that can be stored separately for each type, and identifies and identifies the type of the connector held in the holding unit (11). In addition, the storage box (22a) in which the attachment member (34a in FIG. 1) corresponding to the type of the connector is stored is replaced with the attachment member (34b, 34c in FIG. 1) that does not correspond to the identified connector type. Is moved to a position closer to the operator than the storage box (22b, 22c) in which is stored.
Manufacturing equipment for connectors with electric wires.
(2)
The manufacturing apparatus according to (1) above,
The workbench (10) is
As the holding part (11), a plurality of recesses (11) having different shapes for each type of the connector, each of which is provided with a sensor (12) for detecting insertion of the connector. Have
The feeder (20)
Based on the output of the sensor (12), the type of the connector held in the holding unit (11) is identified.
Manufacturing equipment for connectors with electric wires.
(3)
In the manufacturing apparatus according to (1) or (2) above,
The attachment member (34) is
It is a corrugated tube (FIG. 1 (b)) attached to the electric wire.
Manufacturing equipment for connectors with electric wires.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Manufacturing apparatus of connector with electric wire 10 Work table 11 Connector insertion hole (holding part, recessed part)
12 Switch (sensor)
20 Feeder 22 Storage Box 30 Connector with Electric Wire 31 Electric Wire 33 Connector 34 Corrugated Tube (Accessory)

Claims (3)

An apparatus for manufacturing a connector with electric wires having an electric wire, a connector, and one or more attachment members,
A workbench for an operator to perform the work of attaching the electric wire to the connector and the work of attaching the accessory member to the electric wire, and a feeder that is adjacent to the workbench and supplies the accessory member to the workbench. With
The workbench is
A holding portion capable of holding the connector;
The feeder is
It has a plurality of movable storage boxes capable of storing the attachment members by type, and identifies the type of the connector held in the holding unit and corresponds to the identified type of the connector Moving the accommodation box containing the attachment member to a position closer to the operator than the accommodation box containing the attachment member not corresponding to the type of the identified connector;
Manufacturing equipment for connectors with electric wires. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,
The workbench is
As the holding portion, a plurality of recesses having different shapes for each type of the connector, each of the recesses having a plurality of recesses provided with sensors for detecting the insertion of the connector,
The feeder is
Based on the output of the sensor, the type of the connector held in the holding unit is identified.
Manufacturing equipment for connectors with electric wires. In the manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The accessory member is
It is a corrugated tube attached to the electric wire,
Manufacturing equipment for connectors with electric wires.

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