JP5789096B2 - Electric wire conveying apparatus and electric wire conveying method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric wire conveying apparatus and an electric wire conveying method for conveying a plurality of pallets having an electric wire clamp for holding an end of an electric wire to an end treatment process or the like with an endless belt.

  Conventionally, various conveying apparatuses and conveying methods have been proposed for conveying electric wires and the like with an endless belt.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the concave portions 64 of the pallet 63 are engaged with the plurality of tooth portions 62 of the horizontally long endless belt 61, and the electric wires 65 are connected to the pallet 63. An electric wire conveyance device is described in which an electric wire clamp 66 to be gripped is erected and rollers 67 are provided on both side surfaces, and the rollers 67 are movably engaged with guide grooves (rails) 69 of the conveyance frame 68. The electric wire 65 is bent into a U-shape, and is conveyed to an electric wire stripping step, a terminal crimping step, or the like in a state where each terminal is held by each electric wire clamp 66.

  For reference, Patent Document 2 discloses that a card, not an electric wire, is deformed into a concave shape by pressing one endless belt with the other belt in order to convey the card between one endless belt and the other belt. A transport device is described.

Japanese Patent No. 3341804 JP 7-114623 A

  However, in the above-described conventional wire conveyance device of FIG. 6, a plurality of pallets 63 are arranged in close contact with each other on the upper side (outward side) and the lower side (return side) of the endless belt 61 at equal pitches. On the upper side (outward path side) of the endless belt 61, the electric wire 65 is conveyed by the electric wire clamp 66 of each pallet 63, but on the lower side (return path side), there is an empty (empty) state in which nothing is conveyed. Depending on the belt length, there are problems that the number of pallets for empty conveyance becomes large, and wasteful capital investment is imposed, and the load on the drive motor for conveyance increases.

  In view of the above-described points, the present invention provides an electric wire conveyance device and an electric wire conveyance method capable of reducing an empty pallet on the return path side of an endless belt to reduce equipment investment and a load on a drive motor. With the goal.

To achieve the above object, wire conveying device according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a main endless belt having irregularities, the forward side of the unevenness of the main endless belt as well as have a plurality of wire clamp A plurality of pallets having irregularities that mesh with each other, a sub-conveying means that is arranged along the return path side of the main endless belt, and is movable at a higher speed than the main endless belt, and provided in the sub-conveying means And a transfer means for securing the pallet moved from the forward path side to the return path side, moving the pallet by the sub transport means and transferring it to the terminal end side of the return path, and the sub transport means It is an endless belt, and the transfer means is a chuck member that holds the pallet.

With the above configuration, each pallet is intermittently transported sequentially in the wire end stripping process, terminal crimping process, terminal insertion process to the connector housing, etc. along the forward path of the endless belt by the rotation of the main endless belt. The empty (pallet) pallet that has finished the wire end processing moves to the return path side, is secured by the transfer means at the start end (front end) side of the return path, is transferred to the sub transfer means, and is transferred by the sub transfer means. The empty pallet together with the loading means is conveyed at high speed to the end of the return path of the main endless belt and transferred to the end of the return path. The transfer means returns to the start end side of the return path after releasing the empty pallet. For example, the pallet is preferably positioned and prevented from falling by slidingly engaging the small roller with an annular guide portion.
The chuck member grips an empty pallet at the start end of the return path of the main endless belt, and the chuck member moves to the end of the return path together with the empty pallet by the rotation of the sub endless belt. The endless belt is engaged with the concavity and convexity of the endless belt, and is transferred to the end of the return path. At the same time, the gripping of the chuck member is released and the empty pallet is released.

The electric wire conveyance device according to claim 2 is the electric wire conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the return path side of the main endless belt includes a front and rear short straight portion, a front and rear inclined portion following the short straight portion, The pallet is separated from the main endless belt at the front inclined portion and transferred to the rear short straight portion by the sub transport means and the transfer means. It is characterized by being.

  With the above configuration, the empty pallet moved from the forward path of the main endless belt to the return path moves along the annular guide portion in the extending direction of the short straight portion at the start end of the inclined portion on the front side (start end side) of the return path of the endless belt. Then, it leaves the return path, is secured by the transfer means, and is transferred to the short straight part following the rear inclined part by the sub-transport means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric wire conveying method in which a plurality of pallets holding electric wires are conveyed along a forward path of a main endless belt, and the pallet moved from the forward path to the backward path is gripped by a chuck member as a transfer means. , wherein the transferring is moved faster than the main endless belt at the end side of the該復path in sub endless belt as a sub transport means at the end side of the該復path.

With the above configuration, each pallet is intermittently transported sequentially in the wire end stripping process, terminal crimping process, terminal insertion process to the connector housing, etc. along the forward path of the endless belt by the rotation of the main endless belt. The empty (pallet) pallet that has finished the wire end processing moves to the return path side, is secured by the transfer means at the start end (front end) side of the return path, is transferred to the sub transfer means, and is transferred by the sub transfer means. The empty pallet together with the loading means is conveyed at high speed to the end of the return path of the main endless belt and transferred to the end of the return path. The transfer means returns to the start end side of the return path after releasing the empty pallet. For example, the pallet is preferably positioned and prevented from falling by slidingly engaging the small roller with an annular guide portion.
The chuck member grips an empty pallet at the start end of the return path of the main endless belt, and the chuck member moves to the end of the return path together with the empty pallet by the rotation of the sub endless belt. The endless belt is engaged with the concavity and convexity of the endless belt, and is transferred to the end of the return path. At the same time, the gripping of the chuck member is released and the empty pallet is released.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the empty pallet on the return path side of the endless belt is reduced by securing the empty pallet on the return path side of the main endless belt with the transfer means and transporting it with the sub transport means. It is possible to reduce the capital investment and reduce the load on the drive motor (downsizing) by reducing the number of pallets. Further, the empty pallet can be gripped by the chuck member and reliably conveyed to the terminal end side of the return path of the main endless belt. In addition, it is possible to increase the transport speed of the empty pallet using the sub endless belt and to reduce the cost of the sub transport means.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pallet is smoothly and reliably detached at the front side (starting side) inclined portion of the return path of the main endless belt, and the pallet is smoothly and straightly connected to the short straight portion following the rear side inclined portion. It can be reliably transferred.

According to the invention described in claim 3 , the empty pallet on the return path side of the endless belt is reduced by securing the empty pallet on the return path side of the main endless belt with the transfer means and transporting it with the sub transport means. It is possible to reduce the capital investment and reduce the load on the drive motor (downsizing) by reducing the number of pallets. Further, the empty pallet can be gripped by the chuck member and reliably conveyed to the terminal end side of the return path of the main endless belt. In addition, it is possible to increase the transport speed of the empty pallet using the sub endless belt and to reduce the cost of the sub transport means.

It is a front view showing one embodiment of an electric wire conveyance device and an electric wire conveyance method concerning the present invention. The electric wire conveyance apparatus is similarly shown, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a front view. It is the A section enlarged view of Drawing 2 (b). The pallet transfer process of the front side in the sub endless belt of an electric wire conveying apparatus is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view. The rear pallet transfer process in the sub endless belt of an electric wire conveying apparatus is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view. The principal part of one form of the conventional electric wire conveying apparatus is shown, (a) is a side view, (b) is a front view.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of an electric wire carrying device and an electric wire carrying method according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric wire conveying device 1 and the electric wire conveying method are configured such that a plurality of pallets 6 having electric wire clamps 5 are arranged on the upper belt portion (outward path) 3 of the main endless belt 2. the sub along the underside of the belt portion (backward path) 4 endless belt arranged (conveying means) 7, a main endless belt 2 front (end) 2a side downwardly folded pallet 6 ₁ sub in It is received by the endless belt 7 and conveyed to a portion near the rear end (starting end) 2b of the main endless belt 2 and transferred to the main endless belt 2.

  The upper belt portion 3 of the main endless belt 2 is arranged horizontally and straight between the front and rear pulleys 10 and 11, and the lower belt portion 4 is a short straight line that continues horizontally from the front and rear pulleys 10 and 11. The portions 4a and 4b, the inclined portions 4c and 4d that are inclined upward from the short straight portions 4a and 4b, and the long straight portions 4e that continue horizontally between the front and rear inclined portions 4c and 4d. The front and rear inclined portions 4c and 4d are supported by a pair of small and large guide pulleys 12 on the front and rear. One of the front and rear large-diameter pulleys 10 and 11 is a driving pulley driven by a motor, and the other is a guide pulley that is rotatably supported by a shaft. The main endless belt 2 is a timing belt.

A plurality of pallets 6 are arranged at an equal pitch with the front and rear ends in contact with the straight belt portion 3 on the upper side, and two pallets are provided on the semicircular belt portions along the front and rear large-diameter pulleys 10 and 11. 6 is arranged, and two pallets 6 _{1 to} 6 ₄ are arranged with the front and rear ends in contact with the short straight belt portions 4a and 4b on the lower side of the front and rear. Each pallet 6 is provided with a plurality of electric wire clamps 5 and a pair of rotatable small rollers 13 on the left and right side surfaces (front and back in FIG. 1).

  The small roller 13 moves along an existing guide groove (guide portion) 15 (FIG. 3) provided in the transport frame 14 (FIG. 3). The guide groove 15 is composed of upper and lower parallel straight portions that are slightly larger than the main endless roller 2 and front and rear semicircular portions.

  The sub endless belt 7 is arranged below the main endless belt 2, and the straight belt portion 8 above the sub endless belt 7 is formed of short straight portions 4 a and 4 b before and after the main lower belt portion 4. Located adjacent to the lower side, the lower straight belt portion 9 is positioned parallel to the upper belt portion 8, the front end pulley 16 is positioned below the rear half of the main front end pulley 10, The rear end pulley 17 is positioned behind the main rear end pulley 11 and is driven via a sub drive motor 18 and a drive belt 19.

The main upper belt portion 3 moves forward as indicated by an arrow A, and the main lower belt portion 4 moves backward as indicated by an arrow B in the same manner as the sub upper belt portion 8. The main pulleys 10 and 11 rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 1, and the sub pulleys 16 and 17 rotate clockwise when the pallet is conveyed. The sub endless belt 7 is a dedicated pallet collection path and moves faster than the main endless belt 2. The second pallet 6 ₁ before along the sub of the endless belt 7 in FIG. 1 is transferred from the main endless belt 2 in the sub of the endless belt 7, the second pallet 6 ₄ sub endless later in FIG. 1 Transferred from the belt 7 to the main endless belt 2.

  In the example of FIG. 2, the positions of the pulleys 16 and 17 of the sub endless belt 7 are different from those of the example of FIG. 1, but the other configurations are the same as those of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A (plan view), a sub endless belt 7 is disposed adjacent to one side (left side) in the width direction of the main endless belt 2. The central shafts 20 of the front and rear pulleys 16 and 17 are supported by the vertical plate portion 21 of the apparatus frame.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a chuck member (transfer means) 22 for holding the pallet 6 is provided on the upper belt portion 8 of the sub endless belt 7, and the chuck member 22 is the sub endless belt 7. The tip 22a of the chuck member 22 is located below the main endless belt 2. The chuck member 22 is connected to a fixing portion 23, and the fixing portion 23 is fixed to the upper belt portion 8 of the sub endless belt 7. The sub endless belt 7 is driven back and forth by forward and reverse rotation of a drive motor 18 (FIG. 1).

Front of the pallet 6 ₂ near the pulley 10 at the front end of FIG. 2 (b) those before being transferred to the sub of the endless belt 7, the pallet 6 ₁ the rear is of the time it is transferred. In FIG. 2A, illustration of each pallet 6 is omitted. A member located on the rear end side of the main endless belt 2 in FIG. 2B is a stopper member 33 described later.

As shown in FIG. 3 (enlarged view of portion C in FIG. 2B), the pallet 6 on the front side (the rear side in the feed direction) is placed on the rear end (end) of the short straight belt portion 4a below the front end of the main endless belt 2. ₂ is positioned, the rear side and separated from the (feeding direction front side i.e. the top) of the pallet 6 ₁ front pallet 6 ₂ pushed short straight belt portion 4a becomes free, both pallets 6 _1, 6 ₂ each small roller 13 of the front and rear is prevented horizontally straight guide groove 15 slidably engages fall of the transfer frame 14, pallet ₆₁ of the rear side behind the front side of the pallet 6 ₂ (pallet conveying direction) The stopper member 26 is in contact with the stopper member 26 and is stopped. In FIG. 3, an arrow D indicates the feeding direction of the pallet 6 on the front end side of the main endless belt 2.

Each pallet 6 has a central recess 29 that meshes with a plurality of teeth (not shown) provided at a regular pitch on the surface of the main endless belt 2 and a recess (not shown) between the teeth. The bottom surface 27 has front and rear projections 28 that mesh with each other.

  The guide grooves 15 are provided in a horizontally long annular shape on a vertical plate-shaped transport frame 14 positioned on both the left and right sides of the main endless belt 2 (FIG. 3 shows only a part of the lower guide grooves 15. ). The lower guide groove 15 is positioned in parallel to the lower side of the short straight portion 4a of the lower belt portion 4, and the inclined portion 4c following the short straight portion 4a is spaced obliquely upward from the lower guide groove 15. It continues to the long straight part 4e.

  The front inclined portion 4c smoothly releases the engagement between the pallet 6 and the front short straight portion 4a (the pallet 6 is smoothly detached from the front short straight portion 4a), and the rear inclined portion 4d is the pallet 6 And the rear short straight portion 4b are smoothly meshed (the pallet 6 is smoothly transferred from the sub endless belt 7 to the rear short straight portion 4b).

The stopper member 26 is disposed adjacent to the rear of the inclined portion 4c of the lower belt portion 4 and is rotatable up and down about a front horizontal shaft portion 30 as a stopper main body at the lower end of the front portion. It has a V-shaped groove 26a, and engaged with the side of the small roller 13 of the pallet ₆₁ of the rear in a V-groove 26a, to stop the pallet 6 ₁ became free from the main endless belt 2. The stopper member 26 has inclined surfaces 26b on the front and rear sides of the V-shaped groove 26a. The small roller 13 slides along the front inclined surface 26b and pushes the stopper member 26 upward, so that the V-shaped groove 26a becomes the stopper member 26. The small roller 13 is engaged by its own weight or a biasing force of a spring (not shown).

  Each pallet 6 in this example has eight electric wire clamps 5, but the number of electric wire clamps 5 is an even number and is appropriately set. The even number of electric wire clamps 5 hold both ends of each electric wire (not shown) folded back in a U shape in units of pallets 6.

FIGS. 4 (a) as (b), the pallet ₆₁ has stopped at the stopper member 26 (FIG. 3) gripped by the chuck member 22, the chuck member 22 rotates and the sub of the endless belt 7 in this state pallet 6 is moved at high speed to the rear end side as indicated by an arrow B of the grasped left main endless belt 2 ₁ (conveyed). The movement time of the sub endless belt 7 is such that one pallet 6 in the main endless belt 2 processes the end of the electric wire (measurement, cutting, peeling, terminal crimping, crimping inspection, terminal insertion into the connector housing, etc.). However, it is set to be equal to or shorter than the time required to move one pitch. The main endless belt 2 stops at each step and intermittently conveys the pallet 6.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the chuck member 22 is located on the right side with the sub endless belt 7 as a boundary, and is connected to the rod 24 a of the left horizontal air cylinder 24. The chuck member 22 includes, for example, a pair of upper and lower horizontal chuck bodies (represented by reference numeral 22) and an air-type opening / closing cylinder (not shown) that opens and closes the chuck body. It is also possible to substitute the air-type open / close cylinder with a spring member biased in the closing direction (the opening operation is performed by pressing the chuck body 22 against the pallet 6).

Chuck member 22 holds the horizontal plate portion 31 of the first half of the pallet ₆₁ after projecting rightward in expansion operation of the rod 24a of the air cylinder 24 side (top) as indicated by the arrow E, in that state arrow B move with as pallet ₆₁ rearwardly, 1, to transfer the pallet ₆₁ to the short straight belt portion 4b rear lower side of the main endless belt 2 in FIG. 2 (b).

Pallet 6 ₁ of small rollers 13 (FIG. 3) is always engaged with the guide groove 15, the pallet ₆₁ of the concave-convex portions 28 and 29 are engaged with the uneven portion of the belt portion 4b. Chuck member 22 releases the gripping of the pallet _61, to quickly restore the compression direction of the rod 24a by the urging force of the compression operation and the tensile coil spring 32 of the air cylinder 24.

When the pallet ₆₁ that is gripped by the chuck member 22 is conveyed to the rear end lower side a short straight belt portion 4b of the main endless belt 2, as FIG. 5 (a) (b), a rectangular rod-like hook The pallet pressing member 25 is pressed against the front end of the pallet 6 ₁ (explained by reference numeral 6 ₄ ) with a pressing force in the extending direction of the horizontal air cylinder 34, and presses the pallet 6 ₄ rearward (conveying direction). Pallet 6 protrusions 28 of ₄ the rear end (front end) is meshed in a recess of the short straight belt portion 4b, the forward sub of the upper belt portion 8 the chuck member 22 releases the pallet 6 ₄ in this state Return to the front by movement.

Pallet pressing member 25 presses the front end of the pallet 6 _4, the main endless belt 2 is rotated in this state, the convex portion 28 and the recess 29 of the pallet 6 ₄ short straight belt portion 4b of the lower (not shown) engage smoothly and reliably into the recess, the pallet 6 ₄ is and reliably transferred smoothly to the main endless belt 2. After the pallet 6 ₄ is moved along the main endless belt 2, the pallet pushing member 25 is returned forward by the compression operation of the air cylinder 34. At this time, the drive projections 25a of the pallet pushing member 25 escapes inwardly tapered ratchet grooves 35, interference load on the pallet 6 ₄ is prevented.

  The pallet pressing member 25 is always urged in the retracting direction (inward) by the tension coil spring 36, the driven projection 25a is in sliding contact with the horizontal guide surface 37a of the guide block 37, and the horizontal rod 34a of the air cylinder 34 is compressed. Along with the operation, the tension coil spring 36 is guided to the tapered ratchet groove 35 by the urging force of the tension coil spring 36.

Pallet 6 ₄ is carried by the chuck member 22 in the arrow B direction and then projects the pallet pushing member 25 in the direction of the arrow F, press against the pallet 6 ₄ in the arrow G direction and then retracts the chuck 22 in the direction of arrow H pallet 6 ₄ is opened, and the belt 2 rotates in the direction of arrow D. The stopper member 33 is rotated in the fulcrum shaft in the same manner as the front of the stopper member 26, the pallet 6 ₄ rollers 13 into the rectangular groove 33a engaged by blocking the return to the front of the pallet 6 _4.

  In the above embodiment, the pallet 6 is gripped and moved by the chuck member 22, but instead of the chuck member 22, a pin (not shown) that can be advanced and retracted by a solenoid or the like is used, and the pin is a hole in the pallet 6. The pallet 6 is moved along the guide groove 15 and moved to the main endless belt 2, and then the pins are compressed and moved forward by the sub endless belt 7. Is also possible. Further, a guide rail or the like can be used instead of the guide groove 15.

  Further, in the above embodiment, in order to transfer the pallet 6 to the sub endless belt 7, the lower guide groove 15 is formed straight, and the main lower belt portion 4 is inclined forward and rearward. The upper guide groove 15 is deviated upward (deformed) by the portion 4c and the rear lower slope portion 4d. For example, the lower guide groove 15 is not shown in the front rear slope portion and the rear rear portion (not shown). It is also possible to detour (deform) in a concave shape downward with the rising slope, and to form the main lower belt portion 4 straight.

  In the above embodiment, the sub endless belt 7 is used for the main endless belt 2, but a linear guide or the like for moving the slider back and forth with a horizontal ball screw (not shown) instead of the sub endless belt 7 is used. It is also possible to arrange the chuck member 22 on the slider.

  The electric wire conveying apparatus and electric wire conveying method according to the present invention include a pallet having an electric wire clamp when an electric wire is continuously conveyed by an endless belt in a process such as stripping of an electric wire end or terminal crimping in the process of manufacturing a wire harness. Can be used to reduce equipment costs and reduce the load on the belt drive motor.

1 Wire Conveying Device 2 Main Endless Belt 3 Upper Belt Part (Outward)
4 Lower belt (return)
4a, 4b Short straight part 4c, 4d Inclined part 4e Long straight part 5 Electric wire clamp 6, 6 ₁ pallet 7 Sub endless belt (conveying means)
15 Guide groove (guide part)
22 Chuck member (transfer means)

Claims (3)

A main endless belt having irregularities, a plurality of pallets having irregularities meshing with unevenness of the forward side of the main endless belt as well as have a plurality of wire clamp, along the return path of the main endless belt And a sub-conveying means that is movable at a higher speed than the main endless belt, and a sub-conveying means that is provided in the sub-conveying means and secures a pallet moved from the forward path side to the return path side. A transfer means moved by means to transfer to the terminal end side of the return path,
The electric wire conveying apparatus, wherein the sub conveying means is a sub endless belt, and the transfer means is a chuck member that holds the pallet.   The return path side of the main endless belt is composed of a front and rear short straight part, a front and rear inclined part following the short straight part, and a long straight part following the front and rear inclined part, and the pallet is a front inclined part. 2. The electric wire conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the electric wire conveying device is separated from the main endless belt and transferred to a short straight portion on the rear side by the sub conveying means and the transferring means.   A plurality of pallets holding the electric wires are transported along the forward path of the main endless belt, and the pallet moved from the forward path to the return path is gripped by a chuck member as a transfer means, and a sub endless as a sub transport means A method of conveying an electric wire, characterized in that the belt is moved to a terminal end side of the return path at a higher speed than the main endless belt and transferred to the terminal end side of the return path.

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