JP3928393B2 - Wire harness connector housing stock device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector housing stock device for a wire harness.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in the manufacturing process of a wire harness, various connector housing stock devices that stock a connector housing in a housing holder are used to connect the connector housing to an automatic device when connecting the terminal-attached electric wire to the connector housing. .
[0003]
By the way, for connectors used in wire harnesses, intermediate products with the same specifications are produced in advance in order to support high-mix low-volume production, and some of them are processed to change the type and specify the product number. There are things that make it possible.
[0004]
For example, in recent years, the present applicant has developed a new connection technique for a wire harness in order to satisfy the demand for miniaturization and cost reduction of the wire harness. The connector as the element has a plurality of connector housings stacked in multiple stages and terminals accommodated in a state of being arranged in parallel in each connector housing.
[0005]
In order to produce the connector, when inserting the terminals into the connector housings to be stacked, it is necessary to manage the stacking order of the connector housings and to stack them in a predetermined order. On the other hand, the connector housing preferably has the same specifications as much as possible so that it can be applied to various types of wire harnesses. Therefore, at present, as an intermediate product of the connector housing, each undulation is formed by forming undulations with a plurality of ribs protruding at equal intervals on the outer wall, and cutting out some of the ribs according to the type. The undulating shape of the part is changed to achieve both the versatility of the connector housing and the distinguishability of the type.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In manufacturing the connector as described above, it is difficult to automate everything from the terminal mounting operation to the connector housing to the laminating process. It may be necessary to feed the housing holder. At that time, since the connector housing is manufactured from an intermediate product of the same specification, it is very confusing in terms of appearance. Therefore, in order to reliably prevent the connector housings from being mixed, a mechanism capable of reliably maintaining the stacking order of the individual connector housings has been required.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when an operator handles a connector housing that is identified by changing some specifications from an intermediate product of the same specification, the connector housing type is mistaken due to human factors. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector housing stock device for a wire harness that can surely prevent this.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention forms an identification unit for identifying a type by changing a part of the specification from an intermediate product of the same specification, and processes as a different type of component for each formed identification unit A housing holder for detachably holding a connector housing to be mounted at a predetermined mounting position, and mounting of only the type of connector housing provided in each housing holder and set to the housing holder based on the identification part Means for allowing attachment to a position, and the identification portion is a undulation formed on the outer wall of the connector housing by selectively removing ribs that protrude at regular intervals, and the means includes A key member having a key portion that engages only with the undulation portion specified in the connector housing to be attached to the housing holder, and the key member A lever portion that is driven by the connector housing introduced into the housing housing chamber, and the key portion is retracted from the housing housing chamber when the lever portion is in the housing housing chamber so that the lever portion is driven by the connector housing. In addition, the key member is attached to the connector housing so as to allow the connector housing to be mounted only when the key portion is engaged with the undulating portion of the connector housing to be mounted in the process of being driven by the connector housing. It is the connector housing stock apparatus of the wire harness characterized by including the attachment member to attach .
[0009]
According to the present invention, by specifying the type of the connector housing to be mounted based on the identification portion set in advance in the connector housing, the connector housing can change some specifications from the intermediate product of the same specification. Even if it is misleading to be set in many kinds, it is possible to prevent erroneous mounting of the connector housing due to human factors.
[0010]
As a means for allowing only the connector housing of the type set in the housing holder to be mounted, even if it is a mechanism that optically reads the identification portion and compares it with data stored in advance, it is possible to determine pass / fail Good. In this case, the identification unit may be a character or barcode displaying the product number.
[0012]
Further , according to the present invention , when the operator attaches the connector housing to the housing holder, the type (part number) set by the operator on the housing holder matches the type (part number) of the connector housing to be attached. In this case, the undulating portion formed in the connector housing and the key member are engaged with each other, so that the connector housing can be mounted at the mounting position. On the other hand, if the type (part number) of the connector housing is incorrect, the key member will collide with the rib of the undulating portion, so that the displacement of the lever portion is restricted, and the connector housing should be mounted at the mounting position. It becomes possible to regulate.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 10.
[0015]
Referring to these drawings, in the illustrated embodiment, a conveyance path PH is set along one horizontal direction, and a terminal mounting unit 12 and an electric wire measuring unit are set on a base 11 installed along the conveyance path PH. 14, the pressure contact unit 15, the inspection unit 16, the terminal insertion unit 17, and the housing stock unit (connector housing stock device) 20 are installed in this order from the upstream side. On the base 11, a rail 11a is formed along the transport path PH, and a pallet 11b that can reciprocate on the rail 11a is provided. The pallet 11b is reciprocated between the terminal mounting unit 12 and the upstream side of the terminal insertion unit 17 in accordance with a procedure programmed in a control box (not shown). A terminal (not shown) of the attached electric wire W can be automatically fed. Note that the details of the above-described embodiment according to the present embodiment are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-289632 (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-110258) previously proposed by the present applicant. The description of 12 to 17 is omitted here.
[0016]
Referring to FIG. 2, a housing stock unit 20 according to this embodiment includes a polygonal revolver 24 that is rotatably supported by a pillar 23, and a housing diagram that is detachably supported on each peripheral surface of the revolver 24. And a plate 25.
[0017]
The revolver 24 is rotated around its central axis 24a by a drive mechanism (not shown), so that each housing drawing plate 25 is sequentially placed on the terminal insertion unit 17 at one end in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport path PH. It comes to come.
[0018]
A plurality of housing holders 30, which will be described in detail later, are disposed on the housing drawing plate 25 along the longitudinal direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing drawing plate 25 is driven to the upstream side of the transport path PH by the terminal insertion unit 17 and is extracted from the revolver 24, so that the connector housing is connected to the insertion robot 17 a of the terminal insertion unit 17. However, since the specific configuration is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-289632, the details thereof will be omitted.
[0019]
On the other end side in the horizontal direction, a worker's work space is provided, and in this work space, the worker manually receives the connector housing 40 in the housing holder 30 of the housing drawing plate 25. It has become.
[0020]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a simplified schematic structure of the connector housing 40 accommodated in the housing holder 30 of the terminal insertion unit 17 of FIG.
[0021]
Referring to the figure, in the illustrated example, the connector housing 40 is a resin molded product formed in a thin rectangular shape, and a terminal accommodating chamber 41 disposed in the width direction is formed inside the connector housing 40. Yes. A pair of connecting ribs 42 are formed on the upper surface of the connector housing 40, and a slide groove (not shown) for fitting the connecting rib 42 formed on another connector housing 40 is formed on the lower surface. is doing. Then, after the terminal-attached electric wires W are connected, the connecting ribs 42 of one connector housing 40 are fitted into the slide grooves of the other connector housing 40, so that the two connector housings 40 are integrated and stacked one above the other. It is a stacked type.
[0022]
Here, on both side walls of each connector housing 40, undulating portions 44 are formed as identification portions formed by projecting a plurality of ribs 43 at equal intervals. And by selectively cutting out some of the ribs 43, the undulation shape of the undulations 44 can be individually changed, and the type (part number) of the connector housing 40 to be laminated can be specified. It is like that. For this reason, in the illustrated embodiment, specific ribs 43 are cut out separately from the intermediate product of the connector housing 40 shown in FIG. 3 (in which the ribs 43 are not cut in the illustrated example). By setting the shape of the undulating portion 44 formed in the connector housing 40, the type of the terminal-attached electric wire W to be connected and the stacking order can be specified. In the illustrated embodiment, in the terminal insertion step, a cover 45 for protecting the terminals accommodated in the connector housing 40 is attached to the front end side of the connector housing 40 (the side opposite to the terminal insertion side). It is a specification. The cover 45 is formed in a shape capable of exposing the undulating portion 44 so that the type of the connector housing 40 can be identified even when attached.
[0023]
4A to 4H are schematic plan views showing examples of formation of the undulating portion of the connector housing 40. FIG.
[0024]
As shown in the figure, for example, when there are eight types of connector housings 40, the shape of each undulating portion 44 is individually set by cutting out a part of the rib 43a of the undulating portion 44 on the right side. Is possible. In the example shown in the figure, five ribs 43 are protruded from both sides of the connector housing 40 to form the undulating portion 44, and two of the ribs 43 of one of the undulating portions 44 (right side in the figure). The shape of each undulating portion 44 is specified by selectively cutting out.
[0025]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the same, and FIG. 5A is a case where the device is mounted at a normal mounting position, and FIG. Each of the cases where it is not mounted in the regular mounting position is shown.
[0026]
Referring to the figure, the housing holder 30 forms a housing accommodation chamber 35 by combining a plurality of metal blocks 31, 32, 33, 34 and fixing them to the housing drawing plate. Among the blocks 31 to 34, a slit 34a communicating with the housing accommodating chamber 35 is formed for the block (in the illustrated example, the block 34) that faces the undulating portion 44 for specifying the connector housing 40 to be mounted. A key member 50 is accommodated in the slit 34a. The key member 50 has a connecting portion 51 that is rotatably attached around an axis orthogonal to the slit 34a by a pin 36 as an attachment member formed on the block 34 having the slit 34a. The connecting portion 51 is continuous with a key portion 52 integrally formed in a horizontal direction orthogonal thereto, and a lever portion 53 extending substantially linearly with the key portion 52.
[0027]
The key portion 52 is formed on the upstream side in the insertion direction of the connector housing 40 into the housing accommodating chamber 35, and the undulating portion 44 of the connector housing 40 is inserted into a proper mounting position (position shown in FIG. 6A). It is arranged at a position where it can be bitten.
[0028]
FIGS. 7A to 7H are schematic plan views showing examples of the formation of the key portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0029]
As shown in the figure, the key portion 52 is formed in an undulating shape corresponding to the undulating shape of the undulating portion 44 of the connector housing 40 so that only a preset combination can be connected to the connector housing 40. The undulating portion 44 and the key portion 52 are engaged with each other. In other words, only one connector housing 40 set in the housing holder 30 can be engaged with the key portion 52 in one housing holder 30.
[0030]
The lever portion 53 enters the housing housing chamber 35 from the slit 34a formed in the block 34, and faces the connector housing 40 introduced into the housing housing chamber 35 (the state shown in FIG. 6B). By being driven by the introduced connector housing 40 and rotating around the pin 36, the connector housing 40 can be displaced between a mounting position of the housing housing chamber 35 and a state in which the connector housing 40 is allowed to be mounted. Has been. When the lever portion 53 faces the connector housing 40, the key portion 52 takes a retracted position for retracting into the slit 34a, and when the connector housing 40 is completely mounted at the mounting position. The connector housing 40 is set so as to be displaced between the undulating portion and the occlusal position where it engages. For this reason, if the product number of the connector housing 40 introduced into the housing accommodating chamber 35 of the housing holder 30 is different from the product number set in the housing holder 30 as shown in FIG. In the process of introducing the housing 40, the key portion 52 collides with any one of the ribs 43 of the undulating portion 44 of the connector housing 40. As a result, the lever portion 53 does not completely open the connector housing accommodating chamber 35. For this reason, when a product number difference occurs, the connector housing 40 protrudes to the upstream side in the mounting direction by a dimension L from the normal mounting position. By detecting with a photoelectric sensor or the like, erroneous mounting of the connector housing 40 can be reliably prevented.
[0031]
In the illustrated embodiment, the block 34 is provided with a probe-like urging member 55. The urging member 55 is disposed on the sleeve 55a so as to be elastically movable back and forth by a sleeve 55a fixed to the side of the block 34, a coil spring 55b built in the sleeve 55a, and the coil spring 55b. 6A and 6B, the pressing member 55c abutting against the back surface of the lever portion 53 elastically urges the lever portion 53 counterclockwise in FIGS. 6A and 6B around the pin 36. By doing so, the key part 52 is always retracted to the retracted position.
[0032]
In the above configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the operator attaches the connector housing 40 to the housing holder 30 and the connector housing 40 is a regular product number, as shown in FIG. In the mounting process, the lever portion 53 rotates clockwise in the figure against the urging force of the urging member 55, and the key portion 52 is engaged with the undulating portion 44 of the housing holder 30, and the lever portion 53 is mounted at the proper mounting position. Will be.
[0033]
On the other hand, if the operator mistakes the product number of the connector housing 40, as shown in FIG. 6B, the key portion 52 collides with the rib 43 of the undulating portion 44 as shown in FIG. Since it becomes impossible to introduce the connector housing 40 to the mounting position, it is possible to prevent erroneous mounting.
[0034]
As described above, in this embodiment, even when a variety of connector housings 40 manufactured from intermediate products of the same specification are mounted on the housing holder 30, the undulating shape set in the undulating portion 44 as an identification portion. As a result, the product number of the connector housing 40 can be reliably identified and erroneous mounting can be prevented.
[0035]
The above-described embodiment is merely a preferred specific example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It goes without saying that various design changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, even when multiple types of connector housings manufactured from intermediate products of the same specification are mounted on the housing holder, it is possible to reliably identify the product number and prevent erroneous mounting. There is a remarkable effect of being able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an electric wire processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an electric wire processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a connector housing housed in a housing holder of the terminal insertion unit of FIG. 2. FIG.
FIGS. 4A to 4H are schematic plan views showing examples of formation of the undulating portion (identification portion) of the connector housing. FIGS.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a main part according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) is mounted at a regular mounting position, and (B) is not mounted at a regular mounting position due to a difference in product number. Each case is shown.
FIGS. 7A to 7H are schematic plan views showing an example of forming a key portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Electric wire processing device 20 Housing stock unit (connector housing stock device)
25 Housing drawing plate 30 Housing holder 31 Housing accommodating chamber 34 Block 34a Slit 35 Pin (an example of a mounting member)
43 Rib 44 Undulating part (an example of an identification part)
50 Key member 52 Key part 53 Lever part C Connector housing L Dimension W Electric wire with terminal

Claims (1)

An identification part that identifies a type by changing some specifications from an intermediate product of the same specification is formed, and a connector housing that is processed as a different type of part for each formed identification part is set in a predetermined mounting position. A housing holder that is detachably held on the
Provided on each housing holder, and based on the identification part, includes means for allowing only the connector housing of the type set in the housing holder to be mounted at the mounting position .
The identification portion is a undulation formed on the outer wall of the connector housing by selectively removing ribs that protrude at regular intervals.
The means includes a key member having a key portion that engages only with the undulation portion specified in the connector housing to be attached to the housing holder;
A lever portion provided on the key member and driven by a connector housing introduced into the housing housing chamber;
A connector housing in which the key portion is retracted from the housing housing chamber when the lever portion is driven by the connector housing, and the key portion is to be mounted in the process of being driven by the connector housing. A mounting member for attaching the key member to the connector housing so as to allow the connector housing to be mounted at the mounting position only when engaged with the undulating portion of
Connector housing stock device of a wire harness, characterized in that it comprises a.

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