JP2991043B2 - Wire harness assembly support - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a support for supporting an end of a wire constituting a wire harness when assembling the wire harness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wire harness is made up of a large number of electric wires, but these many electric wires are not assembled together at one time. That is, generally, the wire harness is divided into a plurality of subassemblies (hereinafter, referred to as "secondary temporary binding bodies"), and after assembling the individual secondary temporary binding bodies, these secondary temporary binding bodies are assembled. The wire harness is completed by bundling the binding body.

[0003] Each of the above-mentioned secondary temporary binding bodies is constituted by gathering a plurality of primary temporary binding bodies. The term "primary temporary binding body" refers to a piece that includes a predetermined number of electric wires cut to length and crimped with terminal fittings at the ends.In some cases, all of these terminal fittings or predetermined terminal fittings are connected to the connector. Some have been inserted. Therefore, a plurality of the primary temporary binding bodies are gathered to form a secondary temporary binding body, and a plurality of the secondary temporary binding bodies are bundled (referred to as “main binding”) to constitute a wire harness. .

[0004] The assembly of the secondary temporary binding body is conventionally performed in the following manner. That is, a plurality of the primary temporary binding bodies are laid out at predetermined positions on the assembly drawing board on which the assembly drawing of the completed secondary temporary binding body is drawn along the assembly drawing. Specifically, an intermediate portion of the electric wire included in each of the primary temporary binding bodies is assembled by an assembly support (hereinafter, referred to as an “electric wire support” in this specification) arranged on an assembly drawing board. It is supported in a state of being branched into a required branch shape. Then, if necessary, a terminal fitting crimped to a predetermined electric wire of a certain temporary binding body is inserted into a connector of another primary temporary binding body to be inserted, and a secondary temporary binding body is assembled.

[0005] At this time, the connector attached to the end of the electric wire and the end of the electric wire which is not inserted into the connector and is in a free state are respectively supported by assembling supports.
It is designed to be held in a positioning state on the assembly drawing board. Then, the outer periphery of the predetermined portion is bound with a tape or the like so that the secondary temporary binding body does not fall apart. In this way, the primary temporary bindings are received by the wire support and the assembly support, and are wired along the assembly drawing, so that the secondary temporary bindings having a branch shape according to the purpose are provided. Is assembled.

[0006] Then, the secondary temporary binding bodies assembled in this manner are bundled with tape or the like and finally bound, and other necessary accessories are attached by tape winding or the like to complete the wire harness. A so-called continuity test is always performed on a wire harness. In the past, the continuity test was performed at the final stage of the manufacture of the wire harness, that is, at the stage where the above-described final binding was completed, so that the arrangement of the terminal fittings at each wire end attached to the connector, disconnection, etc. If you find a defect, unwrap the tape etc. and separate it into a secondary temporary tie or primary temporary tie, and then do not do repair work to correct the above-mentioned defect or repair work such as replacement of defective wire I didn't have to. For this reason, there has been a problem that the rework is very troublesome. Therefore, although it is in the middle of manufacturing,
A method of conducting a continuity test in a state of a secondary temporary binding body which is easy to inspect has been adopted.

By the way, as described above, the primary temporary binding body is
When the terminal fitting at the wire end is inserted into the connector,
In some cases, the end of the wire is in a free state without being inserted into the connector. For this reason, the end of the secondary temporary bundling body formed by gathering a plurality of these also has a portion where the connector is attached and a portion where the wire end is in a free state without being inserted into the connector. is there.

Therefore, when conducting the continuity test of the secondary temporary binding body, the portions where the ends of the electric wires are inserted into the connectors are attached to the corresponding continuity testers, and include the continuity testers. Depending on whether the continuity inspection circuit is closed or open, it is possible to inspect the continuity of each wire included in the secondary temporary binding body. Since the vessel cannot be used, the following processing was performed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a state in which the wire end is held by an assembling support in the process of assembling a secondary temporary binding body including a wire whose wire end is in a free state. is there. Referring to FIG. 6, reference numeral WE indicates an electric wire included in the secondary temporary binding body, the electric wire end of which is in a free state. The terminal fitting 1 is crimped to the end of the electric wire WE, and is supported by an assembling support 2 erected on an assembly drawing board (not shown). The assembly support 2 includes a support 2a fixed to an assembly drawing board, and a terminal holding member 2b attached to the upper end of the support 2a with a screw B. A pair of holding pieces 3 having a predetermined gap S are formed in the terminal holding member 2b, and the terminal fitting 1 is sandwiched between the gaps S and held in a positioning state.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a state in which the continuity test of the secondary temporary binding body is performed. Referring to FIG. 7, when conducting the continuity test, terminal fittings 1 are sandwiched between metal clips 4 in order to establish continuity. On the other hand, the connector (not shown) of the portion of the secondary temporary binding body to which the connector is attached is attached to the continuity tester T. The clip 4 is connected to a continuity test circuit R for connecting the clip 4 and the continuity tester T. In the continuity test circuit R, the continuity test circuit R is closed or open. A judgment unit J for judging whether or not it is provided is provided. Therefore, if the continuity of the secondary temporary binding body to be inspected is poor, the determination unit J determines that the continuity inspection circuit R is open. Thereby, the part where the defect has occurred can be repaired at the stage of the secondary temporary binding body.

[0011]

However, in order to conduct the above-described continuity test, it is necessary to prepare the clip 4 described above.
In addition, since an operation of attaching the clip 4 to the terminal fitting 1 is required, it takes a long time for the conduction test. Therefore, there is a problem that the cost of the wire harness is increased.

Further, there is also a problem that the terminal fitting 1 is damaged by being sandwiched by the clip 4. To solve such a problem, FIGS.
As shown in (1), it is conceivable that the support 2a and the terminal holding member 2b of the assembly support 2 are made of metal, and the continuity test circuit R is directly connected to the support 2a. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, terminal holding member 2 b has a substantially U-shape in which a predetermined gap S is formed, and terminal fitting 1 is pushed into and held between gaps S. It has become. By doing so, the terminal holding member 2b can also serve as a clip, and the clip 4 is not required, and the operation of attaching the clip 4 to the terminal fitting 1 can be omitted. Further, the terminal fitting 1 is not damaged. In FIGS. 8 and 9, reference numerals T and J indicate the continuity tester and the determination unit, respectively.

However, if the assembly support 2 is made of metal as described above, the following new problem occurs. That is, when the terminal fitting 1 at the end of the electric wire is held by the assembling support 2, the terminal fitting 1 is pushed into the gap S, but the terminal fitting 1 is made of a very thin metal. When pressing this, or when the gap S
There is a problem that the terminal fitting 1 may be deformed when it is removed from between.

In particular, when the terminal fitting 1 is detached from the assembling support 2 after the completion of the assembly and the continuity test of the secondary temporary binding body, the terminal fitting 1 is not carefully removed by hand, but rather by a work. In some cases, the terminal fitting 1 is pulled out of the assembly support 2 by holding and pulling the electric wire WE by hand in order to perform the operation quickly. In such a case, the terminal fitting 1 is more likely to be further deformed and damaged. In addition,
The problem of the terminal deformation is that even if the assembly support 2 is made of, for example, resin instead of metal, the electric wire W
As long as the operation of pulling out the terminal fitting 1 from the assembling support 2 by holding and pulling the E by hand is a problem that can similarly occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to securely hold the wire end and assemble the terminal crimped to the wire end during the assembling process of the secondary temporary binding body including the portion where the wire end is in a free state. An object of the present invention is to provide an assembling support capable of performing a quick continuity test without causing deformation of a fitting.

[0016]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wire harness assembling support, which is used to assemble a wire harness including a large number of electric wires onto a connector crimped to an end of a wire when assembling the same on an assembly drawing board. What is claimed is: 1. A wire harness assembling support for holding an attached terminal fitting in a state in which electricity can be supplied to said terminal fitting, said support being fixed on said assembly drawing board, and provided at an upper end of said support Having conductivity,
A terminal holding member including a rubber plate that holds the terminal fitting by elastic force due to elastic deformation.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the wire harness assembling support according to the first aspect, wherein a lead wire for guiding a current from the terminal holding member during a continuity test is provided. And the terminal holding member. The wire harness assembling support according to claim 3 is the wire harness assembling support according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal holding member includes a conductive rubber plate; Is provided with a cut portion cut into the inside from the peripheral edge portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the wire harness assembling support according to the first or second aspect, wherein the terminal holding member has a pair of sides abutted to each other. Characterized by including a conductive rubber plate.

Further, the wire harness assembly support according to claim 5 is the wire harness assembly support according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal holding member is
Including a conductive rubber plate, a substantially central portion of the rubber plate is provided with an insertion portion for gripping the terminal metal by the elastic force of the terminal metal while the terminal metal is inserted. It is assumed that.

[0020]

According to the wire harness assembling support according to the first aspect, the terminal fitting crimped to the end of the electric wire is held by the elastic force of the terminal holding member and is securely held. In addition, when the terminal holding member grips the terminal fitting, the terminal holding member is elastically deformed, so that the terminal fitting can be held softly without damaging the terminal fitting. In this state, the terminal fitting, the terminal holding member, and the support are electrically connected.

Further, according to the wire harness assembling support according to the second aspect, the lead wire connected to the terminal holding member guides the current flowing through the terminal fitting through the terminal holding member during the continuity test. Can be. As a result, the terminal fitting, the terminal holding member, and the support can be electrically connected. Further, according to the wire harness assembling support according to the third aspect, the terminal fitting is inserted into the cut portion of the terminal holding member. As a result, the cut portion is elastically deformed, and the terminal fitting can be softly gripped and securely held by the elastic force due to the elastic deformation.

According to the wire harness assembling support according to the fourth aspect, the terminal fitting is inserted between a pair of rubber plates constituting a terminal holding member. This allows
The pair of rubber plates are elastically deformed with each other, and the terminal fitting can be softly gripped and securely held by the elastic force due to the elastic deformation. Further, according to the wire harness assembling support according to the fifth aspect, the terminal fitting is inserted into the insertion portion of the terminal holding member. As a result, the insertion portion is elastically deformed, and the terminal fitting can be softly gripped and securely held by the tension force due to the elastic deformation.

[0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 2 is an assembly support according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as “support” in the embodiment).
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a secondary temporary binding body forming a wire harness is assembled using the helmet.

Referring to FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an assembly drawing board, and a predetermined position on the assembly drawing board 10 is
A wire support 20 that supports an intermediate portion of the electric wire WE included in the primary temporary bundle constituting the secondary temporary bundle SA and branches in a predetermined direction, and a terminal fitting crimped to an end of the electric wire WE There are provided supports 40 and 50 for holding the positioning member 30 in a positioning state, and a continuity inspection device 60 for fixing a connector C attached to an end of the electric wire WE in a positioning state. The continuity tester 60 is provided with test pins 61 that can independently contact each terminal fitting inserted into the connector C.
Is connected to an electric wire 62.

The wire support 20 and the support 4
0, 50 and the continuity tester 60 receive the plurality of primary temporary bundles, and wire WE along the assembly drawing.
Is wired, so that the secondary temporary binding body SA having a branch shape according to the purpose can be assembled. Further, both ends of each electric wire WE are electrically connected independently by an electric wire RE via a continuity judging device J, and a continuity inspection circuit for performing an electric continuity inspection on each electric wire WE is configured. I have. The continuity judgment device J
Is provided with a display unit SC. This display section SC
Can indicate whether each of the continuity test circuits is closed or open, and if it is displayed as closed, it can be understood that the continuity of the continuity test circuit is good. It has become.

The feature of the present embodiment is that the support members 40 and 50 and the terminal fitting 30 are electrically connected to each other, so that the secondary temporary binding member S
A that the continuity test of the secondary temporary binding body SA can be performed by the continuity test circuit while assembling A, and the support members 40 and 50 are the terminal holding members 42 and 5 respectively.
2 in that the terminal fittings 30 can be softly gripped and securely held by the terminal holding members 42 and 52.

Hereinafter, the support 40 will be described in detail. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a state in which the support tool 40 is fixed on the assembly drawing board 10. With reference to FIG. 1, this support 40 has a support 41 and a terminal holding member 42 provided on an upper end of the support 41.

The support 41 can be made of, for example, a round bar made of metal, and has a male screw 41a formed below. A washer W is fixed to a predetermined position of the support 41. Then, the supporter 41 is fixed to the assembly drawing board 10 by inserting the support body 41 into a mounting hole provided on the assembly drawing board 10 and fastening the nut N from the back surface side of the assembly drawing board 10 and tightening. It has become so. Further, the electric wire RE is connected to the lower end of the support 41.

The terminal holding member 42 has a pair of U-shaped frame portions 42a made of metal and a conductive rubber plate 42b sandwiched between the pair of frame portions 42a.
The rubber plate 42b is disposed between the pair of frame portions 42a fastened to each other by the screws B. Rubber plate 4
2b is formed with a cut portion 42d cut from a substantially central portion of the upper edge 42c downward. Then, the terminal fitting 30 is pushed into the notch 42d from above to be held. Therefore, in a state where the terminal fitting 30 is held by the cutout 42d, the terminal fitting 30, the terminal holding member 42, and the support 41 are electrically connected.

According to the support 40 of the present embodiment, when assembling the secondary temporary binding body SA, when the wire ends of the wires included in the secondary temporary binding body SA to be assembled are in a free state. The terminal fitting 30 crimped to the end of the electric wire can be held in a positioned state. That is, the terminal fitting 30 is inserted by being pushed into the notch 42d from above. At this time, since the rubber plate 42b is elastically deformed, the terminal fitting 30 can be softly gripped. In addition, the terminal fitting 30
Can be reliably held.

As described above, the terminal fitting 30, the terminal holding member 42, and the support 41 are electrically connected to each other. Therefore, when the wire RE is connected to the support 41, A continuity test circuit can be configured. Therefore, the continuity test can be performed while assembling the secondary temporary binding body SA. As a result, even if it turns out that any of the electric wires WE included in the secondary temporary binding body SA has a conduction failure, the repair work can be performed quickly and easily.

Moreover, the terminal fitting 30 is connected to the terminal holding member 4.
Since the terminal fitting 30 is softly gripped, it is possible to prevent the terminal fitting 30 from being damaged when the terminal fitting 30 is attached to and detached from the terminal holding member 42. In particular, after the assembly and the continuity test of the secondary temporary binding body SA are completed,
When the terminal fitting 30 is detached from the terminal holding member 42, even if the wire WE is pulled and the terminal fitting 30 is pulled out from the terminal holding member 42, deformation of the terminal fitting 30 can be prevented. Therefore, the work can be speeded up while preventing the terminal fitting 30 from being damaged.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2 again, a description will be given of a support 50 which is a modification of the support 40. Supporting tool 50
Has a support member 51 and a terminal holding member 52 provided at an upper end of the support member 51. The terminal holding member 52 includes a pair of U-shaped frame portions 52a and a conductive rubber plate 52b sandwiched between the pair of U-shaped frame portions 52a, similarly to the support member 40. The rubber plate 52b has a pair of cuts 52d similar to the cuts 42d formed in the rubber plate 42b of the support 40 so that the two terminal fittings 30 can be held at the same time. It has become. Other configurations are the same as those of the support 40.

Such a support 50 is a terminal fitting (for example, a ground circuit terminal) crimped to an electric wire for a common circuit.
This is convenient for holding. In addition, the notch 52d
Can be provided in large numbers. In the following, the support 4
0 shows another modified example. FIG. 3 shows a support 7 according to a modification.
It is an enlarged front view which shows 0.

Referring to FIG. 3, the support 70 is different from the support 40 in that an insertion portion 71 through which a terminal fitting 30 is inserted is inserted into a rubber plate 42b sandwiched between a pair of frame portions 42a. It is a point provided. In addition, other configurations are
Since the support member 40 is the same as the support member 40, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. This insertion part 7
Reference numeral 1 denotes a so-called star-shaped cut formed at a substantially central portion of the rubber plate 42b. This insertion portion 71
Then, when the terminal fitting 30 is pressed, the insertion portion 71 is elastically expanded and the terminal fitting 30 is inserted. Then, the terminal fitting 30 is pressed by the tension of the insertion portion 71 due to the elastic deformation.
Are softly gripped and securely held. In addition, this insertion part 71 can also be comprised by a cross-shaped notch.

As described above, also in this modification, the continuity test can be performed while assembling the secondary temporary binding body SA. As a result, any of the electric wires WE included in the secondary temporary binding body SA Even if it is found that there is a conduction failure, the repair work can be performed quickly and easily. Also,
Since the terminal fitting 30 is softly held by the terminal holding member 42, it is possible to prevent the terminal fitting 30 from being damaged when the terminal fitting 30 is attached to and detached from the terminal holding member 42.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a support 80 according to another modification. Referring to FIG. 4, this support 80 is different from the above-described support 40 in that a pair of rubber plates 42b is sandwiched between a pair of frame portions 42a in a state where they are abutted against each other. Since other configurations are the same as those of the above-described support 40, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

Also in this modification, if the terminal fittings 30 are inserted into the butted portions of the pair of rubber plates 42b so as to be pushed from above, the rubber plates 42b are elastically deformed. , And can be securely held. Therefore, the terminal fitting 3
When attaching / detaching the 0 to / from the terminal holding member 42, it is possible to prevent the terminal fitting 30 from being damaged.

Further, as in the case of the support 40, the continuity test can be performed while assembling the secondary temporary binding body SA. As a result, any of the electric wires WE included in the secondary temporary binding body SA can be temporarily determined. Even if it is found that there is a conduction failure, the repair work can be performed quickly and easily. In the above embodiments and modifications, all of the terminal fitting 30, the terminal holding member 42 (52) and the support 41 (51) are made conductive, and the electric wire RE is connected to the support 41 (51). The terminal fitting 30 and the support 40 (50, 7)
(0, 80), the terminal metal 30 and the support 40 (50, 70, 80) can be energized as follows.

That is, for example, the support 41 (51)
Is formed into a hollow pipe shape. On the other hand, the rubber plate 42b
A lead wire is provided at (52b). Then, this lead wire is connected to the electric wire RE through the pipe-shaped support 41 (51). By doing so, the current flowing in the terminal fitting 30 can flow through the rubber plate 42b (52b) to the lead wire, and the terminal fitting 3
0, a continuity test circuit including the rubber plate 42b (52b) and the lead wire is formed. Thereby, it is possible to make the terminal metal and the supporter electrically conductive, and it is possible to perform the continuity inspection.

Although the above-mentioned support has been disclosed as a support for holding the terminal fittings, the following use modes are also conceivable. That is, as shown in FIG.
0 can be used to hold and hold the electric wire WE at the end of the secondary temporary binding body to which the connector C is attached. In addition, reference numerals 50 and 80 are the respective support members shown in the above-mentioned modification, and hold the terminal fittings 30.

[0042]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the continuity inspection of the secondary temporary binding body is performed while assembling the secondary temporary binding body of the wire harness before the final binding. Since it can be performed, even if it turns out that any of the electric wires included in the secondary temporary binding body has a conduction failure, the reworking operation can be performed quickly and easily.
Further, the terminal fitting crimped to the end of the electric wire is softly gripped by the assembling support, so that a quick attaching / detaching operation to the assembling support can be performed without damaging the terminal fitting. As a result, the speed of the work of assembling the wire harness and conducting the continuity test can be increased, and the manufacturing cost of the wire harness can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the lead wire is used to make the assembly support and the terminal metal conductive, the material forming the support is specified (for example, the support There is no need to provide conductivity, and the assembly support can be manufactured at low cost. Further, claim 3
According to the invention, since a rubber plate having conductivity is used for the terminal holding member, the support for assembly can be manufactured at low cost. In addition, since the terminal fitting is inserted into the cutout formed in the rubber plate and gripped, no special member or the like for holding the terminal fitting is required, which further contributes to the cost reduction of the assembling support. can do.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a pair of rubber plates butted against each other are used to hold the terminal fittings, so that there is no need to perform any processing on the rubber plates, and further assembling is performed. Cost of the supporting tool can be reduced. Further, according to the invention of claim 5, the terminal fitting is inserted through the insertion portion provided on the rubber plate, and the terminal fitting is gripped by the tension force caused by the expansion of the insertion portion. There is an advantage that it can be held more reliably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a terminal fitting is held by an assembly support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a continuity test is being performed while assembling a secondary temporary binding body using an assembling support.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of a main part showing a modification of the assembly support.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing another modification of the support for assembly.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another example of use of the assembly support.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a main part of a conventional assembly support.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a state in which a continuity test is performed on a secondary temporary binding body supported by a conventional assembly support.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a state where a continuity test is performed on a secondary temporary binding body supported by a conventional metal assembly support.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state where a continuity test is performed on a secondary temporary binding body supported by a conventional metal assembly support.

[Explanation of symbols]

 SA secondary temporary binding body RE electric wire 10 assembly drawing board 30 terminal fitting 40 support (assembly support) 41 support 42 terminal holding member 42b rubber plate 42d notch 50 support (assembly support) 52d cut Part 70 Support tool (assembly support tool) 71 Insertion section 80 Support tool (assembly support tool)

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] When a wire harness including a large number of electric wires is assembled on an assembly drawing board, a terminal fitting crimped to an end of the electric wire and not attached to a connector is held in a state where current can be supplied to the terminal fitting. A support fixed on the assembly drawing board, provided at an upper end of the support, having conductivity, and having the elastic force by elastically deforming the terminal. A wire harness assembling support, comprising: a terminal holding member including a rubber plate for holding a metal fitting. 2. The wire harness assembling support according to claim 1, wherein a lead wire for guiding a current from the terminal holding member is connected to the terminal holding member during a continuity test. Support for wire harness assembly. 3. The support for assembling a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holding member includes a rubber plate having conductivity, and the rubber plate is cut into the inside from a peripheral portion. A support for assembling a wire harness, comprising a notch. 4. The support for assembling a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holding member includes a pair of conductive rubber plates, one side of which is abutted against each other. Support for wire harness assembly. 5. The support for assembling a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the terminal holding member includes a conductive rubber plate, and a terminal fitting is inserted into a substantially central portion of the rubber plate. A support for assembling a wire harness, wherein an insertion portion is provided for gripping the terminal fitting with the elasticity of the terminal fitting in a state in which the terminal fitting is provided.